Star Fox: Just Like Old Times
by ThatWinchieGuy
Summary: Fifteen years after Star Fox disbands, Fox finds himself chased by a group of hired guns led paid by Wolf O'Donnel. After a job for General Pepper takes an unexpected turn Fox finds himself going back to the people he really trusts. In this AU, Assault and Command both do not happen, but the characters from those games are present. Rated T for cursing, violence, and sexual content.
1. Sorry About That

Star Fox had disbanded. Quite some time ago, in fact. That's if you consider 15 years to be quite some time. Fox McCloud did. And somehow, as the lasers pinged off the old wooden bar in downtown Corneria City, he felt more alive than ever.

Fox popped up from cover, accurately shooting blaster shots right into the heads of two of his would-be assailants. He knew that there were four, in total, inside the bar. There was no telling how many were outside; these guys often traveled in packs of 6 or 7, depending on the job. For Fox, usually a little extra manpower would be needed. He judged that an entire truck- full of low key gangsters with itchy trigger fingers- would be waiting outside for him.

Fox once again jumped up from cover, after hearing one of the young men- he supposed they could be called men if you used the term loosely- foolishly yelled that he was reloading. Fox fired a perfect shot into his friend who had just reacted to cover him, then leapt over the now-smoldering wooden bar and aimed for the "man" that was reloading. Downing him in a second, Fox swooped in next to the opened door of the tavern, taking cover behind it's elaborate frame.

"Get out here, Star Fox!" One of the gangsters called out. Fox easily picked out the person who yelled out from the crowd of four which was leaving a cheap luxury car, rifles in hand.

_Alright. Save him for last…_

Fox whipped his body quickly out the doorway and fired at the unsuspecting group, killing one of them. The group fired back sluggishly, taken aback by the grizzled mercenary's speed and reaction time. Whilst they stumbled around in the dark to find adequate cover, Fox sprinted through the doorway and finished the slowest of the remaining three with another burst from his blaster.

_That's 16 shots… Four left. Better make 'em count._

Fox's eyes scanned the urban battlefield, and guessed that the two of them hid behind the car they drove up in, while the third had attempted to run behind another car. Fox's hypothesis was confirmed when they simultaneously appeared from behind their ride, their minds trying to find a sure shot on Fox.

Fox's mind, however, was far quicker and experienced.

In what seemed like slow motion, Fox fired to precise shots into one of their heads, and shot a third laser into the other man's shoulder. Both fell before even knowing what had happened.

Fox vaulted over the hood of the car, which now had splatters of hired blood on it. One of the assassins was still alive. As Fox had planned, it was the young man who had called mistook Fox's name for that of his former team. Fox planted his blaster's barrel into the kid's temple. There was no way he was older than Fox was when he had taken down Andross twenty one years ago. It seemed more like a lifetime ago…

"You should've gotten my name right, son. Would've made this whole thing a hell of a lot quicker for you." Fox's raspy voice coughed out.

"What the fuck are you…?" The gangster groaned out, crawling away from him.

"I'm what happens when you make a wrong choice. You're what happens when you make a REALLY wrong choice. The name's McCloud, kid. Not Star Fox." Fox said as he fired the last shot of his 20 round clip right into his skull.

"And that's that." Fox let the magazine drop from his blaster before pulling a fresh one out from the inner pocket of his leather jacket, which he pushed into the gun like a machine. He began walking back into the now decimated tavern, which was a shame, really, since Fox liked that place.

"Marty! Marty, you got a hole in you yet?" Fox yelled out. Martin was the owner of the tavern, hence the name Marty's Tavern. It was a cheap little place which had been guised as a middle-class hangout. The décor didn't fool anybody, though. Everybody knew it was a rough and tough bar for rough and tough people. One could tell just by looking through the windows; hell, one could tell just by looking at the windows themselves. There always was the thin layer of grime that covered the gem underneath. Sort of like Fox, in a way. Maybe that was why he liked it so much.

"Fox, in all my years as a bartender, never have I EVER seen such a display. Holy shit, that was just like all those crazy stories about you."

"Thanks, Marty. You okay, though? I'm more concerned about my favorite tavern than my above average gunplay." Fox said, watching Marty poke his head out from behind the bar. Fox sat down at the only barstool that wasn't totaled.

"Would it be weird if I acted like none of this happened?" Marty asked.

"Well, I'm sure the bodies'd start to smell after a bit, but otherwise the place looks untouched." Fox said, chuckling as he took in the sight of a waterfall of various liquors falling from the shelf behind Marty. Marty turned around and noticed it as well.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure I can clean it up myself. Who the hell were those guys? Don't look like regulars to me." Marty asked. Fox knew he shouldn't bring Marty into this; he'd already set the hunchbacked old bartender back a couple thousand dollars with all the damage his little gunfight caused.

"Just a bunch of bozos that have been hassling me for some time. I've got some debts that need paying, that's all." Fox lied. Marty bought it.

"Ahh…gambling?"

"Yeah. Gambling." Fox lied again. He didn't like lying, but his hand was forced in this situation.

In truth, Fox had been being chased by these men for months. They were usually all hired guns, just in it for the money. But occasionally, there'd be the rare appearance of one of the higher-ups of their organization. It was in during one such occasion that Fox found out the leader of the whole thing.

Wolf O'Donnel.

He had a hunch that this was Wolf's doing when he saw the quality of the men being sent after him; usually young men who had shot a gun perhaps a dozen times in their life. Still, these grunts could be dangerous in packs.

Wolf wanted him dead, that much was clear. It was no longer the cat-and-mouse chase that their fights had always been. For years Wolf and Fox had seemed to hate one another, but there was always the respect there, always the thrill of dogfighting with someone that could match your skill with his, and there were never casualties. Fox and Wolf's fights were more for fun than anything. Compare it to a soccer match and you've got the right idea.

Wolf would only send hired soldiers if he really, really needed Fox McCloud out of the equation. The problem was, Fox didn't understand why Wolf wanted him out of the picture. He wasn't so quick to leave either, and a resolution to the conflict was the last priority in Fox's mind. If Wolf wanted him dead, then he wanted Wolf dead.

Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be in much of a position to pull that off either.

He had practically no assets besides his skill and a very poorly kept blaster, which alone could take down 8 men in a gunfight, but probably no more than that. He hated to admit it, but those kids had been so close to getting the drop on him that Fox could feel the first laser as it flew past him. He'd also lost almost all his contacts from his Star Fox days; Fox rarely worked jobs for General Pepper anymore, he had no idea where Falco was, Bill Grey was discharged from the army, Peppy was retired, Slippy was married, and Krystal….Fox didn't even want to think about her.

So, in short, it was him against an army.

**Yeah…I wrote a new story. Sorry about that, for all the people that were excited about Last Lap. I'm literally so stuck with where to go on that story that I've decided to take a total break from it. I promise I'll come back to it. **

**Also, screw the lengthy foreword/ afterword because I'm just too burnt out to deal with that. **

**Enjoy!**

**-ThatWinchieGuy**


	2. Get to Work

"You know, Marty… I hate to do this to you, but I should probably get out of here before the military police show up." Fox said, standing up from the barstool.

"Agreed. I'll tell them there was just a fight between some youngsters. They'll believe me, I think." Marty sighed and looked around, of finally realizing the true damage his tavern had taken.

"Here, take this. It's the least I can do." Fox said, putting 500 credits on the only part of the bar that wasn't singed. Despite years of keeping up his "tough guy" image, Fox was still the hero of Lylat underneath the leather jacket and the mangled fur.

"Thanks, Fox. It's a start. And you're still welcome here, even if you did shoot the place up."

"I'll be back."

Currently, Fox was still stuck at square one. He wanted to go after Wolf, but he couldn't, and he wanted to work another job soon, but he had none lined up. This presented a problem. He'd just given about a third of his total credits to Marty, and another third would probably be needed for ammunition. That left him a grand total of around 500 credits to survive until the next paycheck. Fox didn't think that'd be enough.

Fox had been constantly broke from the time Star Fox disbanded all the way up until the present. He was used to living payday to payday, but not like this. Of course, it had been as bad as it was now a couple of times, but that didn't mean Fox liked it.

What he really wanted was another Star Fox deal, one of those million dollar checks at the end of some grand adventure that earned you the respect of Lylat as well. He didn't want the low key assassinations and the driving jobs that came to him now. He wanted his old life back. Sure, it had been tough, but that was the way Fox liked it. High risks and high rewards. And with Peppy leading him on, Slippy and Falco behind him, Krystal…

No. He didn't think about her.

That might have been part of the reason Star Fox never actually got back together. Krystal. Fox had completely shut out any memory of her, no matter how much he wanted to think about all the things that were possible between him and her. And, since she was a part of Star Fox, all the memories of that got shut out too.

He knew, of course, where his team was. They were best friends, after all. Slippy was married to some girl on Aquas, and Falco… well, actually, Fox didn't know where Falco was. Krystal was on Corneria, just like him. He hated to tell himself this, but the real reason he still operated out of Corneria City was because he hoped that one day he'd open up his mind and be able to talk to her.

The worst part was that he could tell that day was coming soon. He wondered if she even wanted to see him, let alone talk to him.

Fox stepped into the ammunition store outside of downtown Corneria. He knew where all the gun stores in the city were, and rarely visited a store more than once in order to avoid becoming too friendly. Fox usually did this. He didn't want to become too comfortable with this life, because he wanted to stop living like this. The moment the opportunity presented itself, he'd jump at it. He even had the words, "TAKE THE CHANCE" on a post-it note on the door to his apartment. It was stupid, but it worked.

After buying two more magazines for his blaster, Fox began the four mile walk to his apartment. At night. In the cold.

Fox liked walking in the cold. It reminded him of the nights that he and Krystal often spent when they were together. He could practically see her face when she first saw snow. Mesmerized, Krystal began swiping at the air, trying to catch the mystical drops of frozen water that fell from the sky…

Fox smiled as he thought this, then his face promptly returned to the blank, motionless expression that seemed ingrained into it.

As Fox walked into his apartment, he noticed that his answering machine had received a call. He pressed the button labeled "voicemail" and listened intently. The only reason somebody would call him and leave a message was if they needed his services.

"Fox… it's Pepper," the voice began.

_Well…glad I came home earlier than usual then._

"I have a job for you. Now, I know you're not working with Star Fox anymore, but I need you to help Falco Lombardi."

_Falco? Why would he need help?_

"You see, Falco will be assassinating a key Star Wolf affiliate at the General's Ball next Wednesday. He asked for you by name when I mentioned giving him assistance from one of my men….Call me back."

**Beep.** The tone rang from the answering machine. Fox backed away, confused. There were so many questions to be asked. Why did Falco ask for him? Why did General Pepper need a Star Wolf affiliate dead? Why would Falco even need help? All these things and more ran through Fox's mind as he dialed Pepper's cell phone number on his.

General Pepper picked up promptly. He was always one for punctuality.

"Hello?" Pepper asked.

"It's me." Fox said. Along with his newfound bluntness came a certain air of mystery.

"So, Fox…I'm assuming you're taking me up on my contract?"

"Not until I ask some questions. Why did Falco ask for me, specifically?" Fox asked in a demanding tone. He wasn't one for being pushed around anymore.

"In truth, junior, I don't know. He just did. It was rather odd…" General Pepper replied. After Star Fox had broken up, Fox and the General's relationship became a bit more informal. They acted more like distant friends than business partners.

"Don't call me junior. Why does the military want a Star Wolf affiliate dead?"

"I'm afraid that's confidential." Pepper said, as though there was no amount of coaxing that would bring the information out of him. Besides, Fox knew better than to mess with Pepper. Pepper, too, wasn't one for being pushed around.

"Fine," Fox grunted, "Where do I have to go?"

"Falco said he wants to pick you up himself; 5 P.M, sharp, Wednesday night. It'll just be you two on the job."

"Who's the guy?"

"Sharp little chap…goes by the name Meteo Jackson. Lanky lupine, about six-foot-four, one hundred eighty pounds, grey fur, slice taken out of one ear… I'm sending you a photo as we speak."

"Criminal record?" Fox asked. If he was going to go after this guy, he wanted to have at least an idea of what he was up against.

"Grisly little list… human trafficking, smuggling, first degree murder, third degree murder, arson, treason…perfect Star Wolf member." General Pepper said.

"Any little tidbits I should know?"

"The man always carries a knife in his left shoe. That's all I've got, really. Mysterious one, Jackson. Reminds me a bit of you." Pepper chuckled. Fox didn't find it funny.

"Tell Falco to pick me up Wednesday. In the meantime, I want any information you can get."

"Will do, Fox. Pepper out."

"We're on a phone, General." Fox pointed out.

"Ah…yes. Well, goodbye then, Fox."

Fox laughed, "I'll see you around, Pepper."


	3. Digging In

Fox awoke. His bedroom seemed cleaner than it had been when he fell asleep. The walls were coated in fresh paint, the garbage was cleared from the nightstand, the carpet had been vacuumed, the lights no longer flickered, the clothes were picked up from the floor and hung neatly in the closet. It was as if somebody had come in while he slept and tidied the place up. And, above all, the room was filled with the prevailing scent of rainwater, like the air after a light spring shower.

Fox straightened himself up in bed, leaning against the headrest. He noticed now that his shirt had been removed, which was odd. He clearly remembered going straight to sleep, leather jacket and all. In fact, he didn't remember even getting under the covers, which he was now underneath. From his new vantage point, Fox could see that every little detail in the room- like each tiny crack in the wall- was fixed slightly. Not perfectly, but there was a noticeable difference.

Fox felt something move underneath the covers. He gently lifted them, in order to leave whatever was hiding there undisturbed. As he lifted them, the scent of rainwater became stronger.

_No…no way….that's not…_

Krystal stirred underneath the covers. Fox noticed, when he saw her, how much warmer the room was. It felt like it was summer, and not the middle of February. An unforeseen wave of happiness overcame him, and he hunkered down next to her, wrapping his arm around her slender waist. He didn't really have to say anything. For some reason, she was back, and that was all that really mattered now.

After some time of lying there in contentment, Fox had the sudden urge to talk to her. Why was she here? How did she get in? Why did she clean the apartment? Just…why? He was so happy, and yet so confused.

Fox leaned into her ear and whispered, feeling the heat radiate off of her.

"Krys…Krys, wake up."

Krystal stirred and turned to face him, yawning and then smiling at him. Fox could feel himself smile back. It almost hurt, since he hadn't smiled like that in years.

The two locked eyes for a few moments, lying there awkwardly smiling at each other. It wasn't awkward to them, though. For them, it felt completely natural.

Krystal opened her mouth to speak….

Fox awoke. The warmth was gone. The lights flickered on and off, the cracks in the wall were back, his clothes were strewn about the room, and garbage from leftover meals was left on the table. The scent of rain was gone, the cold returned, the bed was empty again. It was February once more, and the covers had fallen off the bed. Fox lay there, fully clothed, on the grimy sheet which hadn't been cleaned in months.

Krystal was gone. Or, rather, she'd never been there. Fox was dreaming. Oh, how he wanted it to be real! Just to see her one more time, that would be all he needed…to tell her everything about how he felt, why he acted the way he did, why he wanted- NEEDED- her back in his life….

_Tuesday…_

Fox's mind snapped back into monotony. He began to focus on the task at hand, which currently was finding out all that he could about Meteo Jackson and the General's Ball.

_Alright, Meteo…let's see what you've been up to._

Fox flung himself out of bed and jogged over to his computer. He swiped some trash that surrounded it onto the floor, somehow using his infinite wisdom to discern that the floor was the correct place for it.

Most people knew the power of the internet; anything you ever did on the internet could be traced. Did anyone really believe that, though? Or did they even care? Even at the present, you could still find countless numbers of "secret" files, which were meant only for private eyes but not only accessible by private eyes. For example, Fox could hack his way into anybody's bank account and take every credit if he wished. He didn't. What he was interested in, though, was Meteo's information. No doubt Fox would be able to find traveling records, criminal records, credit card records, pictures, lists, names…anything he wanted. That was if Meteo was careless, which most Star Wolf members were.

After digging for some time, Fox found a lead on Meteo's name in some files he had stored some years back, whilst doing a job for Fara Phoenix.

_Hmm…looks like Meteo was involved in a lot. Shooting at the Flight Academy, multiple bombings…all pretty low key stuff, never made the news. _

Using this, Fox found links to three of Meteo's social media usernames, which he scrubbed clean.

_This kid really likes nightclubs. Disgusting little one, aren't you Meteo?_

After closing the distasteful pictures, Fox traced the locations that each picture was taken at. All of the locations were in downtown Corneria City, and each was taken recently enough for one to guess that Meteo was still on Corneria. This hypothesis was confirmed when Fox pulled up Meteo's traveling lists. According to the records, Meteo hadn't left Corneria for four years. There were easy ways of sneaking out of the planet undocumented, but judging by the nature of his work,-shootings on Corneria, bombings on Corneria, smuggling on Corneria- Fox didn't think Meteo knew how to fly a fighter.

_Alright, so he's a modern leader, the sneaky type. No traces of dirt on his hands; the dirt's gonna be on his money._

Fox then used Meteo's name to find his social number, and, using that, open his bank account.

_Oh yeah… here we go. 4 million unmarked bills out of a 7 million total. You're quite the suspicious individual, Jackson. _

Through all of his poking around, Fox could guess that Meteo had very little experience with fighting, he couldn't fly a fighter, and he was most likely boastful. He was the kind of target that would act tough until you got the drop on him. Which is exactly what Fox planned to do.

_Shit…I gotta work with Falco. There's no way he's going to let me do this on my own. _

Fox almost wanted to punch himself for thinking that way. But, to be fair, Fox had worked on his own for over a decade now. Going back to the old way would be refreshing but difficult.

Fox then left his apartment and walked to the Imperial Hall; a large, ornate, marble building about three miles away. The Imperial Hall housed many of the "important" events in Cornerian society. The General's Ball, The Memorial Parade, The Firing of the Centennial Cannon… the list went on and on. Fox had been there a few times. He'd first been allowed to enter when he ended the Lylat Wars, and ever since that he'd been invited to the General's Ball each year. Of course, he'd only gone to two of those, so the layout was bound to have changed since he last attended.

Fox was going to the Imperial Hall now because he wanted to plan the assassination out. He wasn't sure why Pepper wanted it done there, but it was no matter. The pay would probably be higher for an assassination in a public setting anyways. And public it was. The doors would be open wide for the duration of the night, allowing people of all sorts -within reason, of course- to come and go as they pleased. The ideal kill in such situations would be poisoning, but seeing as Fox had neither the skills nor the money to acquire a potent poison, he would have to improvise. Falco would be useful for this. He'd always been a very good distraction. Based on his research, though, the two of them would have a hard time getting Meteo away from the dance floor. The only time they would have to kill him would be if he went to the bathroom or if he left himself open. It'd be a game of patience.

Fox just hoped that Falco still respected his opinion. After all, he wasn't obliged to anymore.


	4. We're Star Fox

_4:56 P.M_

Fox tapped his foot nervously. He had no idea what Falco would say, what he would do. Maybe this was strictly business, and Fox's hope of re-forming Star Fox tonight was misplaced. It wouldn't surprise him if it was. Falco always was one for a paycheck rather than fond sentiments. Hell, Falco might try to dodge the topic completely. The hope was still there. That was something Fox never lost.

Fox hadn't really thought the whole thing through. He could probably get Falco to join back, but who else? Peppy was 72, and there was no way he was coming back to Star Fox. Krystal…well, she probably hated Fox's guts, and Slippy had his family. Pulling the entire team back together would require nothing short of a miracle.

It was possible though. Not plausible, but possible.

_4:57 P.M_

There was also the possibility of finding some evidence regarding the assassins Wolf was sending. If Jackson was as high up in the Star Wolf ranks as his files claimed him to be, then interrogating him before finishing him off would probably be wise. However, Falco would definitely grow impatient if the job wasn't completed quickly. That would leave Fox stuck at square one for far longer than he anticipated being there.

Some of the assassins might also be guarding Meteo. Fox decided that he should warn Falco of Star Wolf's new tactic of "strength in numbers."

_4:58 P.M_

Maybe Krystal would even be in on this somehow…

Fox shook his head, trying to get the image of the cerulean vixen out. He failed. In the past, he'd been able to control these thoughts. But now, he couldn't. Why?

He just wanted to see her again. On his terms; not the terms that existed between them now. He didn't want to be snuck up on by her, he didn't want the same thing that seemed to be happening all around him to happen with Krystal. Falco snuck up on him, Wolf snuck up on him… it was like nobody could be straight with him anymore.

Fox wasn't having a mid-life crisis. He was having a mid-life catastrophe.

_4:59 P.M_

Fox stood up and walked over to the mirror, checking himself over. His suit was as clean as it was going to get, his hair was sort of combed, his tie was at least tied correctly. His blaster was hidden, along with the extra magazines he'd bought on Monday night.

Fox exhaled heavily.

_Alright…let's do it._

Fox pushed open the door, his hand cover the worn, yellow surface of the post it note.

…

A red sports car pulled up.

_Looks like Falco's doing well._

Fox calmly walked to the car, hands in his pocket, with his eyes averted towards the concrete.

He sat down in what felt like a time capsule. Fox had forgotten how smooth leather could actually be if you tried to keep in that way. He'd forgot that cars had lights and switches and could travel over 60 miles without the engine sputtering. Not to mention that the man he considered his best friend was driving, and he hadn't seen him in over a decade.

Falco pulled away from the curb, and an eerie silence choked the air in the car.

"Well…?" Falco asked, collected as usual. He sounded older and less cocky. Fox couldn't see his face due to the darkness of the streets around his neighborhood.

"Well what?" Fox asked.

"Hey, look at that! You don't sound like a goddamn ten year old anymore! Good on you, Fox!" Falco replied sarcastically, obviously noting the dryness of Fox's tone.

"Same old Falco, I guess."

"The one and only." Well, maybe he was still a bit cocky. Fox liked that.

"How've you been?" Fox asked.

"Fox, it's been a decade and I'm still able to drive around in an imported sports car. I'm fine. Can't say the same for you though…"

"Yeah…seems I got dealt the shitty hand."

"Yeah…sorry how things turned out for you, buddy."

"Don't be sorry. I'm fine." Fox snapped at him.

The silence fell over the car again. Falco stopped at an intersection, which gave Fox the opportunity to look at him in the dim glow of the traffic light.

He looked like….well, Falco. His feathers were darker tints of blue and red, with less saturation that before, but other than that…the years looked like they hadn't even affected him. Which was weird, considering the amount of drinking Falco did.

"I'm gonna be straight with you, since nobody seems to want to be straight with me," Fox began, "Why'd you want me for this job?"

"I don't know." Falco replied coolly.

"That's a lie and you know it." Fox snarled.

"Woah, buddy, no need to be hostile. I wanted you for the job because…I don't know, I…like…I wanted it to be just like old times, you know….we do our thing, like back on Papetoon? I don't know, it's stupid…" Falco bumbled over his words like Slippy having a normal conversation with a female. He wasn't lying.

"You're serious?" Fox asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah…Yeah I'm serious. I wouldn't mind partnering up again. That's just me though, I don't know what you think about it." Falco stuttered.

"Well, that's if you don't mind assassins on the Star Wolf payroll coming after you." Fox replied.

"Wait, you've got who coming after you?"

"Star Wolf. They've been trailing me for weeks. I haven't got any idea why."

"Huh… so that WAS you at Marty's…" Falco said.

"How'd you know about that?" Fox exclaimed. Marty was going to get it if he…

"The military police are all over gang violence. I work with them a lot, and…well, let's say even I could figure out that fight wasn't between gang members. Hell, all of them were carrying marked credits handed down from Wolf O'Donnel himself."

"I should've been more careful…"

"Don't worry, I lifted the credits. Here," Falco said, handing them to Fox, "You need 'em more than I do. After I found that and General Pepper gave me the job to take out Jackson, I asked for you, because I knew you were back, and I knew you were close."

"Why does the military want him dead?"

"They just want to stop gang violence. But I suspect you want him dead for another reason?" Falco raised an eyebrow in question.

"I could care less if he's dead or not. I just want information from him. Do you think we can get it?' Fox asked.

"Fox, you're talking about the guys that took down two imperial frigates with scooters and handguns. I think we can pull that off."

_He really does want a throwback, doesn't he?_

"I suppose that's a fair argument. How do you plan to do it?" Fox asked.

"I was waiting for you. You're the leader, of course. I'm just the ace pilot." Falco smirked over at Fox, and they both knew.

Star Fox was back.

….

"I want you to be the distraction. Once we find him, I'll find a place we can take him. If he goes to the bathroom, scramble and get him in there. I need him alive for at least a minute. It'd be even better if we could sneak him out of here unconscious." Fox said, confident in his plan.

"Got it. I'll lead him wherever you want me to take him." Falco replied, walking towards the party.

"And remember, nobody sees it." Fox added.

"Yeah yeah, jeez, you'd think I didn't know how to assassinate a dangerous criminal at a party attended by thousands of people."

Falco waded off into the ballroom, blending with the crowd. Fox did the same.

First, he had to find Jackson. Then, he had to find a place to bring him, and then he had to somehow get him to that place. That was going to be the tricky part, since Meteo probably recognized both Falco and Fox.

Fox checked the dance floor first, which was now swarming with people dressed to the nines. Hounds in tuxedoes, fennec foxes in blue and purple dresses, men in military dress and woman towering over him in eight inch heels. The taller women reminded Fox of Krystal, how she had always been that fraction of an inch taller than him…

No, no no…He was working now.

_Focus._

There was no sign of the lanky wolf anywhere. Fox didn't know how he'd look up close, but his mugshot suggested that he wasn't the most attractive fellow. His teeth were crooked and his back was slightly hunched. He had bags under his eyes and his fur seemed as though it was coated with grease.

Moving on, Fox headed over to the bar, which was hidden in a small alcove of the building, where the ceiling was lowered drastically. The atmosphere of the bar was completely different from that of the dance floor. The main ballroom was very light and airy; romantic. The bar, however, looked like something out of a noire film. All the men had their ties loosened, and their jackets off. The deep mahogany of the bar flowed in elaborate patterns which were attractive to the eye, and the dim lights emanating from the shelves served as a calming presence in an otherwise noisy setting. This was more Fox's speed; he could mingle here. He almost wanted to stop and have a drink or two. It was a shame that he didn't have the time, considering he was on the job and his prey was inches in front of him.

Meteo Jackson was at the bar, gulping down White Russians with ease. One, two, three… down the hatch. Just as Fox had guessed. If the job was going to be carried out normally, the target's intoxication would have simplified the job. But the job wasn't going to be carried out normally, because Fox needed serious information from the man, which he couldn't get while he was drunk.

Fox sat down a couple of seats away from him, keeping a slanted eye on him. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Falco's number.

Feigning a drunk tone in his voice, Fox began, "Hey, buddy! Where are you, I'm at the bar, come on!" Fox threw in a falsified hiccup for effect.

Falco showed up a few minutes later, playing along with the drunk gig. He waltzed over with a slight stumble in his step.

"Hey!" Falco burped out. Fox could smell the slight scent of whiskey in his breath.

"Are…are you kidding?" Fox sighed.

"What? Hey, I'm just tryin' to make this realistic. You know I can still do this buzzed." Falco threw his arm over Fox's shoulder.

"Screw it…you see him?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah…." Falco replied. The two mercenaries eyed Meteo cautiously, who was struggling to even stay in his seat as the bartender brought over another White Russian.

"He's bombed." Fox pointed out.

"So? Easy job, money in the bank! What's the issue?" Falco asked.

"Anything he says while he's drunk isn't gonna be solid, we gotta get him out of here."

"Oh….damn!" Falco said, finally realizing their predicament.

"Got any ideas?" Fox asked, stumped.

"Well, I mean…he's gonna have to use the bathroom. You know he can't down that many drinks and not have to empty the tank. We can use that to get him out of here without anybody noticing."

"Are you sure?" Fox wasn't.

"There's a back door out into a storage room in there, we can sneak him through there. I'll pull the car around and you can knock him out in the bathroom." Falco said, proud of himself for coming up with the scheme.

Fox mulled the idea over. It was likely that there was more than one bathroom, and not all of them had the back door in them.

"What if there's more than one bathroom? It's a big building." Fox said.

"Got it covered. I'll go and clog the toilets in the other bathrooms and then pull the car around back. That'll force him into the once bathroom where you can finish the job."

"Damn, Falco, you really sharpened up while I was gone, didn't you?" Fox was impressed. The old Falco wouldn't have been able to think of that.

"Yeah, you're forgetting you're not the only one who had to figure out how to fly solo." Falco said.

….

The night picked up speed. The music perked up, and party goers danced to meet it. Alcohol was spilled and a good time was being had by all. Except Fox, who waited.

Hours passed, and Jackson didn't budge. Fox kept his patience, though, and continued waiting. Meteo's extended use of alcohol reminded Fox a bit of himself. In the beginning, before he'd gotten drunk, he was a ripe young man, capable of almost anything. Now, though, as the alcohol overpowered him, he was a shell of his former self, and sat there in misery. Fox's problem wasn't alcohol; it was loneliness. Meteo drank because it was fun, but Fox stayed lonely because he was scared.

Jackson stood up, heading in the direction of the bathroom. Fox stayed seated for a few minutes before tailing him. It was comical, actually, watching Meteo push his way lazily through the crowd, trying to avoid wetting himself.

Meteo pushed his way through the bathroom door, and Fox followed silently.

Lucky for Fox- and rather unfortunate for Meteo- there was nobody in there but the two of them.

Fox began washing his hands; acting normal. He washed his face and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked more alive than he had when he left the house. Fox wasn't sure why. His bags were less defined, his fur seemed to gain it's color back.

Meteo stumbled away from the urinal. Fox could see the door Falco had been talking about. Fox began walking towards one of the stalls to avoid suspicion.

Fox came back out of the stall, looking at Meteo's reflection in the mirror. The lupine was hunched over the sink, breathing heavily, his face soaking wet.

Fox stepped up behind him quietly, and swiftly wrapped his forearm around Meteo's neck.

**I just made a slight change to the ending in light of a review I read regarding the previous method Fox used to knock Meteo out. After I re-read it again, it just seemed silly, so I went for the more cliché ending to chapter four.**


	5. Showtime

**Hey guys, I'm back! New computer, new writing software, and I'm ready to go! I want to thank you all for your patience, as I know this has been a rougher patch of my writing stint. No worries, I'm back, it's summer, the writer's block is gone, and I'm planning on really pumping out stuff for you guys to read. **

**-ThatWinchieGuy**

The back room warehouse was dingy and poorly lit, with rows upon rows of various crates and boxes meshing together to form a maze. From where Fox was, he could not see more than ten feet in front of him without seeing a crate there, mocking him and daring him to enter into the abyss. Fox had never liked this sort of thing; he liked his enemy to be right in front of him, face to face in a fair fight. Puzzles that messed with your mind were not fair.

Fox dragged Meteo along into the maze, eager to escape the room and get them both somewhere safe. Fox knew that the possibly of there being guards in the room was high. The Imperial Hall was always teeming with them, not to mention the fact that General Pepper was in attendance tonight. That could only mean even more armed guards were here. And, while Fox was doing a job for the General, there was nothing the General could do if he was caught besides shrug off any ties to the job and leave Fox to die. He'd need to be careful.

_Alright...Falco's car shouldn't be far. I just have to get Meteo out into the alley without getting spotted. _

The maze proved to be quite the challenge. Everywhere he turned, there would be another dead end, another guard, another disappointment or annoyance. The only thing guiding Fox's way was the lighting. The deeper you got, the darker it got, and the tougher it got. It was as if the room was designed to stop you from sneaking unconscious persons out of the bathroom. Fox knew it wasn't, but still.

Fox slipped around a corner, and, seeing another guard, dropped Meteo down and began sneaking up behind him. Fox took the man completely by surprised, and cracked his elbow into the guard's head, causing him to fall to the floor without a sound. Fox looked briefly at the guard's face. He couldn't have been older than twenty; his face now stuck in a state of shock and fear. It was at this moment that Fox realized he had killed the boy. He hadn't meant to, he was just in the way, and... Fox had changed. The old Fox McCloud would never have harmed someone so young, and above all, someone who didn't deserve to die. The old Fox would have realized that what he was doing was highly illegal and would have dropped the job right then and there, and save this boy's innocent life in the process. But the new Fox...well, he didn't have a choice. It was either him or the kid, and Fox was so close to getting back on track...

The door was not far from the guard's location, and, with Meteo hoisted over his shoulders, Fox pushed it open and stepped out into the cool nighttime air. Falco's car was a few feet away. It's engine was off, and Falco was pretending to be asleep in the driver's seat. Falco was never the smartest person in the world, but when it came to work, he knew exactly what to do in any given situation. This was a prime example of that trait.

The alleyway was deserted and thin, with small piles of trash accumulating along the sides of the adjacent buildings. To one side of the alley was the Imperial Hall, where the General's Ball would be dying down currently and people would be leaving via limousines and executive cars in the driveway at the front of the building. On the other side lay the Frungtons; a luxury apartment complex that towered sixty stories into the air. Fox had visited it a few times before when he was the leader of Star Fox; many wealthy people always had skeletons in their closets that they wanted gone, and mercenaries were the perfect way of removing them.

Fox dropped the unconscious Meteo into the trunk of the car and slammed it shut. Falco suddenly sprang to life and turned the ignition key as Fox lowered down into the plush leather passenger seat.

"We clear?" Falco asked, looking around cautiously.

"We're good. Let's get Meteo somewhere safe." Fox suggested.

"I've got a tiny garage a few minutes away from here, we can put him there. He won't get out."

Fox sighed as the adrenaline left his body, and said, "We're back, man...," in a weak voice.

"Yeah man...we're back." Falco agreed. "So, you still got your hands on the Great Fox?"

"Unfortunately, no. The government took it from me a while ago, but I do know where it is." Fox said. The Great Fox had been confiscated a few years back, due to Fox's inability to pay the fees and taxes required to own a ship of that size. The ship had probably been stripped of it's engines, computers, weapons...anything useful, really. Even if they did manage to get to it, they probably wouldn't get it very far without the military catching on. "It's gone, though. Probably been used as scrap." Fox said, a tinge of remorse in his voice. Besides his aviators- which were only replicas of the pair his father owned- the Great Fox had been the only thing Fox had to remember his father by. It pained him to see that that, too, was dead.

Falco pulled the car out onto the street behind the Imperial Hall.

"So," Falco began, "Star Fox is back. But not quite; we still need Krystal and Slippy, or at least one of 'em."

"I have a feeling that's not gonna be as easy as you're making it seem."

"I had a feeling you were going to say that." Falco frowned.

"Krystal...well, she hates me, to put it bluntly. And Slippy's got a family now."

"Great, bigger the tension, bigger the challenge." Falco smirked.

Fox wanted them back, he just didn't want to go through the awkwardness. He'd always known that, should he want to get the team back, he'd have to go to Falco first. They'd experienced this sort of thing before; being separated for years at a time and then promptly coming back together and acting like nothing had ever happened.

"Anyways, Krystal's here in Corneria, and Slippy's on Aquas."

"I'm guessing you want to go talk to Krystal first." Falco added. Oh how Fox wanted to...

"No. Let's go to Slippy if we can." Fox said and almost kicked himself for it.

"Really? You're sure about that?" Falco looked over at Fox as though he knew something he shouldn't.

"Yeah. Let's get to Slippy once we're done with Meteo."

"Okay..." Falco said.

"Have you still got a fighter?"

"No."

"Really? You've got a sports car but not a fighter?!" Fox snapped.

"Yep."

"Well, we've got to get out hands on one."

"You mean two; there's no way I'm squeezing into a cockpit with you." Falco joked.

"We'll see. Any ideas?" Fox asked.

"Only thing I can think of is the Academy. We can steal fighters from there no problem, and if we get caught we'll be able to take anybody inside." Falco suggested. Fox didn't like the idea, but he couldn't think of one for himself.

"I wish we could get the Arwings back..." Fox said, almost in a trance. He was daydreaming; his hands gripping around the throttles, pushing himself forward until his liver was pushed into his feet.

"Ah, we'll be fine." Falco waved the idea off, dragging Fox back to reality.

"So, we break into the Flight Academy, steal some fighters, head to Aquas, try to get Slippy back."

"Precisely, Foxie."

"Since when do we do illegal work?" Fox asked, feeling more like his younger self.

"Since you started living in a run down apartment and shooting up bars." Falco chuckled.

"I didn't start it!" Fox said, defending himself. Truth be told, he was loving where the conversation was going. It was just like all their conversations from their olden days.

"Alright, we're here." And once again, something good came to an end.

Fox and Falco stepped out of the car. Falco walked over to the door of the garage and began lifting it open while Fox opened the trunk and pulled Meteo out. Luckily, he was still unconscious. Falco hoisted the door up onto his shoulder and Fox dragged Meteo hurriedly inside.

The interior of the garage was cool and dark; scary. Perfect for the experience the new-look Star Fox team was trying to create. Fox wanted to scare the information out of Meteo, because he knew how priceless it would be to see tough guy Meteo bawl like a child.

Fox propped Meteo up against a wall and began looking around the garage for pieces to set up his show.

"Hey, Fox." Falco said behind him.

Fox picked up a steel chair and moved it to the center of the garage, underneath the light in the center of the room.

"Yeah?" Fox asked, still looking for props.

"I'm gonna take off; lay low for a bit." Falco's hands were in the pocket of his pants, his stance cool and stylish. Just like Falco.

"Alright. Keep in touch, I'll let you know how this goes." Fox wasn't looking at him.

"I'm gonna pick you up at your apartment tomorrow. You're not staying there anymore, man." Falco said.

Fox sighed and turned to face him. "Fine." Fox agreed, reluctantly.

"Cool. Make sure it's done." Falco said, shutting the garage door behind him and leaving Fox alone with Meteo in the darkened garage.

_Alright. It's showtime._


	6. Showing Off My Darker Side

_Alright. Showtime._

Meteo awoke in a place he wasn't before. Actually, he had no idea where he had been previously, but it certainly wasn't here. No, definitely not.

The room was cold, dark, and damp. He began looking around, trying to help his eyes adjust to the lighting. The more he looked around, however, the worse it got.

There was nothing. Nothing was around him. It was as though he was stuck in space, not moving and not having any means of getting home. A light flickered on above him, bright like the sun. Maybe he really was in space. Meteo winced as his pupils dilated.

"Hello, Meteo. Glad you could join me." A voice came out from an unknown spot in the room. Meteo started to rise and demand answers...but he couldn't. His hands were binded to the chair, as were his feet and legs. Tightly, too. Somebody didn't want him going anywhere. He could only assume that the voice belonged to that somebody.

"Who are you?" Meteo choked out, his speech slurred. His eyes flitted back and forth around the room, unable to see anything that wasn't a few feet in front of him.

"You think you're in the position to be asking questions, kid? Try again." The voice was deep and scratchy, yet professional and direct. This person was serious business.

"Wha...how...?" Meteo wondered aloud, unsure of what the near future held for him.

A figure walked out of the shadows. He was short, but stocky, standing around 5'7". His face was partially hidden by the darkness, but it was possible to tell that his was a vulpine, with reddish-brown fur. He was wearing a dissheveled suit, which looked as though it was handed down from a relative.

Meteo's mind flashed images of his boss's warnings.

_Watch out for Fox McCloud. He's down, but not out. Tell your men the same. _

_Brown fur, with a white streak heading down the center of his head. If you see the streak, he's gotten too close. _

Meteo could see the faint, light grey streak on the vulpine's head.

He instantly began recoiling in his chair in a pathetic attempt to escape. The wooden chair wobbled on it's legs, creaking and whining at the effort the lupine was expending.

"S-Stay away you crazy bastard! Don't kill me, please!" Meteo shrieked.

"Treat others the way you want to be treated, kid." Fox stepped fully into the light, the white streak serving as a beacon for what was to come. Fox gripped Meteo's neck and squeezed tightly. As Meteo struggled for air, Fox asked his questions.

"Why does Wolf want me dead?" Fox growled. Meteo did not hear him, as he was focusing on not dying and getting as far away from the hell as possible. Fox tighted his grip around Meteo's neck, and he could feel the bones starting to crack and break.

"Why?" Fox asked, his voice calm but firm.

"I...I can't..." Meteo gagged. Fox loosened his grip slightly.

"I don't...know!"

Fox smashed Meteo's neck into the back of the chair.

"Why?!"

"I...don't..."

Fox let go of Meteo's neck. The lupine gagged and coughed, finally able to breathe.

"Why does Wolf want me dead?! Answer!" Fox shouted, heading over to the toolbox, which hidden in the darkness.

"I already said I don't know, man! Let me go, please..."

"I don't believe you, kid. Convince me." Fox said, coming back into the light. In his hands was a hammer.

"No, please don't do anything man!" Meteo cried out, his voice cracking.

"I won't do anything if you answer my questions." Fox growled, tossing the head of the hammer gently upwards in his hand. The metal connected with his palm repeatedly with a satisfying thud, and Fox grinned menacingly. Inside Fox's head, his mind was firing away, trying to figure out how long it would be until the kid snapped. He was practically on the verge of tears already.

"He doesn't tell me anything, I swear! He only tells me what to do, that's it! No details, no nothing! Say's it's 'not important'!"

"I don't believe you." Fox growled, and smacked the face of the hammer into Meteo's right jaw. The swing was met by a mighty crack; bones breaking. He shouted in pain and shock, his brain trying to decipher which of the two rivals would cause him the least pain at this point.

"I schwear, I don't know anysching!" Meteo cried, his voice garbled by his jaw, which hung loosely to the left side of his face.

"It stops when you give me my answers." Fox glided the bloody head of the hammer over Meteo's cracked jaw.

"He's gonna kill me! I don't care anymore! I can't tell you!"

"He's going to kill you, but I'll make it come quicker." Fox said through gritted teeth. His hand wrapped around the broken jaw and squeezed. A tear left Meteo's eye as he shouted.

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you! Just kill me quickly, please!"

"Speak."

"Wolf wants you dead because he's tying up loose ends. He knows you'll try to stop whatever he's planning. I don't know what that isch, but he's terrified that you'll come for him when it happens, now please, kill me! I don't wanna live like this..." Meteo's head dropped down into his chest, waiting for the end.

"We're not done yet," Fox said, picking up Meteo's head by the lopsided chin, " Where is Wolf?"

"I don't know, I've never seen him in person; only over encrypted calls...please, make it stop..."

"Could I access these calls from your phone?"

"Probably...I don't kno- kill me..." Meteo's eyes looked up at Fox, begging for mercy.

_I hate getting up close and personal..._

Fox pulled his blaster out of his jacket, and aimed it between Meteo's pleading, brown eyes.

_Well, I have my answers._

The barrel of the blaster shot plasma into the air with a loud crack.

…...

"Pepper. It's done." Fox said into his phone, striding with purpose down the sidewalk.

"Good work. The fee's being transferred as we speak. Pepper, out."

"Still on a phone, General." Fox pointed out. General Pepper hung up without responding; maybe he was getting sick of the running joke.

Fox slid his fingers over the surface of his phone sliding over hundreds of names and contacts. It was amazing, really; the number of people Fox knew and the number of people that knew Fox. There was literally thousands of them on the list; each connected to him via work or other means.

His fingers paused the long list of names at the section containing people whose last name began with "K". Moving down the list more slowly, Fox glanced quickly until he found the name he wanted. The screen read:

_Krystal_

Fox tapped on the name, and more information came up on the phone's screen.

_Krystal- Star Fox_

_67-987_

_Corneria City, Corneria_

_165 Orchid Road_

Next to the contact information was a picture of her; she was wearing a red dress that contrasted with her shimmering cerulean eyes. She looked as though she was caught off guard. Her eyes were slanted sideways, looking at the camera. Fox had taken the picture 18 years ago, the night after they had gone out to one of the most expensive restaurants in the city...

Fox quickly snapped the name out of sight, and continued scrolling.

After finding "Lombardi, Falco," on the long list, Fox tapped the name and pressed the green button on the surface of the phone to call him.

After a few seconds of hearing a weak chiming, the call connected.

"You done yet?" Falco asked.

"Yeah. He's gone. I locked up the garage behind me; there's gonna be one hell of a smell if we don't clean it up soon."

"Did he talk?"

"Yeah, but it's best not to say it over the phone; you never know who might be listening in." Fox pointed out. "I'll tell you another time."

"Probably for the best. I'll see you tomorrow." Falco said, and hung up promptly.

…...

Fox was dreaming again. This time, he was not in his apartment, but he was in an Arwing, flying. He could feel the plush neo-polyerthane pressing against his back as the G-Forces in the fighter squeezed his organs around in ways they weren't meant to be squeezed. His hands gripped tightly around the throttle, making his knuckles white. Fox shouted in ecstasy, but no sound could be heard. Only a loud, whirring noise, like the noise he had heard when his previous dream had ended so abruptly.

Fox's flight took him Corneria's oceans; low enough so that his wings skipped across the water as they brushed against the waves.

"I love this thing!" Fox shouted again, his words unheard by anything save his head. A large smile shot across his face, as the excitement of flight surrounded his entire being and engulfed him, controlled him.

Fox turned the Arwing over and over in barrel rolls, the sky and water switching places over and over until he felt sick to his stomach. And, even after that, his smile was still dominating his face.

Fox began to think of other things he could do. He wished he could hear the rumbled of the NTD-FX1 engine screaming through the air behind him, the clicks and beeps of the controls, the swooshing noise of the plasma cannons firing away and turning anything he wished into dust.

_Alright, just like dad taught you..._

Fox looped the Arwing over while rolling it, so that he formed a spinning rainbow in the sky above the ocean waves. His body and mind agreed on every movement; not once ever second guessing themselves or crossing each other out. Fox felt at on with the Arwing again, even though he hadn't flown one in years. It was like second nature to him. Hell, he was probably more comfortable with flying than walking.

Fox flew into the low mountain valley that contained one of many harbors. It suddenly came to Fox that he was flying the path he had taken when he fought on Corneria during the Lylat Wars. Only this time, nothing was on fire, nothing was blowing up all around him, nothing was dying and bleeding and screaming for help. It was all completely normal, as though all of that war and suffering had never occurred.

Fox could see the boats leaving and entering the harbor. Although he only saw them from a brief moment, the vision stuck in his head. He'd helped them get there, in the Arwing, with his friends surrounding him and ready to back up any decision he made.

Fox flew into the city limits; all the skyscrapers were back, the roads were clear of exploding cars and corpses, the grass was green and healthy. It was beautiful, and it was just as he remembered it.

As Fox flew along over mountains and fields, he finally began to realize how much he needed the team.

Without them, none of what he had just seen would be here; none of it would look the same or feel the same or be the same.

Fox snapped awake, sitting up straight on the moldy sheeting of his bed with a giddy smile on his face.


	7. A Change in Scenery

Fox's hand gripped tightly around the worn leather handle of his suitcase, which held all his possessions. As he looked around the dingy apartment for the last time, a tiny wave of sadness came over him. The room was a symbol of his life for the past fifteen years, with it's peeling paint and it's flickering lights. Though life wasn't easy while he lived here, it was still a part of his existence, and those years had certainly taken their toll. Fox had changed, and he wasn't entirely sure if it was all for the worse.

He sighed and closed the door behind him. Letting go was a familiar feeling for him, an almost welcomed feeling. It meant life was going to be better, probably. There was a reason for leaving it all behind, after all. Fox walked down the crumbling wooden stairs in somber silence.

Fox walked over to the old desk in the main lobby of the building. An elderly feline- Maureen, her name was- sat in her usual spot, keeping a watchful eye over the door of the building. Her face contained small features, which were outlined by the creases and wrinkles in her skin. Fox knew her quite well, as he had seen her every day of his life since he'd moved in.

"Leaving, McCloud?" Maureen's rugged voice asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. Moving out of town for business." Fox replied, his eyes set on his feet.

"Well, it's been good knowin' you. Always been a quiet guy, no problems."

"Thanks, Maureen." Fox mumbled, picking up the pen and signing his name on the residents ledger; why the building still used ledgers, Fox couldn't tell. In splotchy blue ink he forever sealed his fate as the leader of the new Star Fox team, which was the same as the old one, really, but it'd been so long that it felt like a whole new gig. Fox nodded and headed for the door, his boots clopping against the granite floor.

Falco's red sports car purred in the street. Fox instantly straightened his back. He'd always tried to forget the past, but it never really worked in the long run. Fox set his suitcase on the floor and sat down in the passenger seat.

"You've got answers to your questions, Star Fox is back, we've got six hundred grand in the bank, you're moving out of that shithole, and still you've got the long face. I swear, sometimes you make no sense, Fox." Falco said in disbelief.

"Some changes just take a little time to get used to." Fox grunted back in reply.

"So, what about those answers? You didn't say anything over the phone."

"Wolf's planning something. Something big. I couldn't tell you what it is, because the kid didn't know. He wants me dead because he thinks I'll try to stop him if I catch wind of it." Fox said.

"Wonder why he didn't come after me then... I'm dangerous too..." Falco complained.

"He's right to fear me. I'm going for him. He's the closest I'm gonna get to that son-of-a-bitch Panther, and I've gotta take that shot. That is, of course, if you're with me." Fox said, his tone suddenly becoming angry and professional.

"You mean to tell me you haven't sprayed that cat's guts all over space yet? Damn, you really were down and out."

"Shut up, Falco." Fox snapped.

"Alright, so I've got the plans for the raid on the Academy all set." Falco boasted.

"What are they?" Fox was intrigued.

"I've got the maps set up back at my place, I'll tell you when we get there."

The rest of the ride was uneventful, and Fox found himself looking out the window and up at the buildings that towered above the street. The change of scenery was...fitting. Towers near the end of their lives were replaced by soaring pillars of glass and marble. The people walking about had clothes that fit them perfectly, opposed to the baggy clothes of the people that resided near Fox's old apartment.

Maybe life was all about juxtaposition; you had your ups and your downs, and so did everyone else and everything that existed.

Falco pulled the car into a garage, which was decorated with white tile flooring and large windows. The windows allowed passerby to look in on the various cars which were stored there. Along with Falco's car, there was a multitude of other vehicles, ranging from SUVs to super cars to motorcycles. Fox half expected to see an Arwing sitting in some remote corner of the garage. Which there wasn't.

The main lobby of the building was a sight to behold. The floor of marble reflected the light of the huge chandeliers which hung from bronze hooks embedded into the ceiling. Pillars of stone were erected around the room, serving as support for the building's massive frame. There was an open area with plush seating arrangements and a shimmering bar top. Behind the bar there was row upon row of alcoholic drinks; no wonder Falco liked it here so much. Fox could see the faint smile on Falco's lips as the two of the meandered over to the elevators.

While the place was beautiful, something felt off in Fox's head. He didn't feel like the place was alive. It could be compared to coming from an English class and walking into a science class. There was no character, there was no personality or creativity. It was all lovely, yes, but it wasn't what the place had been through that made it that way. Fox never liked that quality in high class places.

Falco's apartment was what one could expect after seeing the main lobby. The walls were replaced mostly by glass, aside from the two bedrooms and the one bathroom. There was potted plants placed strategically around the room. A living room area was designed using a designer carpet and a glass coffee table, which was surrounded by posh red and blue chairs that matched the colors of Falco's feathers. A massive television was mounted onto one of the glass walls in the living area. The kitchen was designed to serve more as a personal bar than anything; the only thing that Fox saw which offered food rather than drink was a microwave.

"So yeah, basically just your standard place, Foxie. Got food and whiskey over there- I know you're not a big fan of whiskey but it's there- T.V and crap over here, and your room is gonna be that first door over to our right. Make yourself at home, buddy; we can talk about the plans to get those fighters after I have a drink." Falco said, rather professionally for him. Fox was proud that Falco had been able to shape up at least a little bit while he was gone.

Fox sat down on the cushioned mattress of his new bed with a sigh, his ears flattened against his head. There was a long road ahead of him. He mustered up his strength and hobbled back out to the living room, where Falco was mulling over various maps and papers.

"Come here, I wanna show you this," Falco began, "If we get this right, we'll be on Aquas within the week."

"There's always a catch; with a job this big, I doubt it'll be easy." Fox let himself fall into one of the chairs.

"It won't; look here," Falco pointed to one of the Academy's many security checkpoints on the map, "From what I can see, this checkpoint always has the least guards. All we need to do is get to that between 3:15 and 3:20, and we're golden."

"Why the tight schedule?" Fox asked, focusing on the maps, looking for a Plan B if things went south.

"The fighters are fully fueled at 3:15, and they're taken out for more activities at 3:20. If they're fully fueled, there's a good chance we can get them all the way to Aquas on one tank."

"Right, makes enough sense. How do you suppose we get in?" Fox asked.

"I was hoping that's where you'd come in." Falco shrugged.

Fox stared at the map blankly, his mind going through a thousand options to get to the checkpoint. They could scale the walls of sneak through the other checkpoint or use disguises or falsify records and passes...

"Let's hack their network and make it so that we have control over the guard shifts and the checkpoints. I can do that on the fly, but I'll need to make sure we don't get caught while I do it. If we get into their controls, I can hack the checkpoints and give us a one or two minute window to get through them all." Fox said.

"Alright, I don't know anything about your hacking gizmos, so I'll leave that to you. Jeez, I thought I'd be clear of that crap without Slippy around."

"If you just make sure nobody's near me when I'm hacking in, we'll be fine."

"So...we got a plan?" Falco asked.

"I think we do, Fallie. I think we do." Fox smirked and nodded, still staring at the map.

"Oh, that was stupid..." Falco shook his head as he stood up to get another glass of whiskey.


	8. Set Course for Aquas

Fox's dark brown leather jacket flowed gently in the breeze as he made his way towards the Cornerian Flight Academy. It had been years since he'd seen the place, and, while he was here on less then desirable terms, he was still determined to get a glimpse at what he used to be.

The steel gate of the enormous structure was still intact and without rust, just as he remembered it. It's large marble pillars shot out of the ground like tree trunks, with the heavy roof serving as their leaves and branches. Inside the gate was a plaza of sorts; a circular, flat area, adorned with benches, statues, and foliage. It was a beautiful building, and it was one of Fox's favorite buildings in the city.

He glanced quickly down at his watch as he passed through the gate.

_3:05 P.M_

"Falco, I'm in the perimeter." Fox said quietly, so that nobody could possibly hear, not even the security cameras. "Have you found a spot I can get in from?"

"Got it. Off to your right there's gonna be a small pathway leading into a hedge row. Head in there and you should be just in range to hack right in without anybody noticing." Falco's voice rang out in reply in the microscopic headset in his right ear.

"I see it. Where are you?" Fox began a purposeful stride towards the hedge row.

"I'm at the other side of the grounds, behind the main Academy. I'll be going in by a different route."

"Okay...I can only take these checkpoints down for a very short time, so you've got to move quickly."

"Have I ever been slow?" Falco said in his cocky, boastful voice.

Fox slid in behind the hedge row and into a small clearing.

_Alright, Pepper...Let's see if you've managed to update since I was last here._

Fox slid his courier bag off his shoulder and placed it on the ground. Quickly and efficiently, he pulled out his laptop and turned it on. The screen came to life with a flash of colors, bringing up the desktop. Fox then began searching for the location of the security room within the Academy.

_Damn. They've increased their security._

"Falco, this is gonna be tough. I might only be able to buy us as short as thirty seconds to get through the checkpoints." Fox whispered, his fingers tapping furiously away in order to make up for the time that would be lost due to the complications.

"Shit...alright, we can do that. It'll probably make a bit more noise."

"Yeah...try not to get spotted. Once you get to the fighters grab one immediately and leave without me. We've gotta get at least one away." Fox said.

"Roger that, captain. Tell me when."

Fox's mind clicked and popped with each move he made, trying to beat the computer at the very purpose it was invented for; keeping him out. His eyes flashed quickly to his watch.

_3:10 P.M_

He had five minutes to tear down their wall and insert his special virus into the system, which he had used on several occasions for this exact purpose. He only hoped it could buy him enough time to get away successfully, and that the virus wouldn't be detected before he could get to the fighters.

It wasn't looking good.

"Falco, this is going to be really tight." Fox said nervously, his brow now sweating profusely.

"We'll deal with the repercussions later. Just do your best, man." Falco said, rather unenthusiastically.

"No, I don't think this is gonna work, their firewall is too good, and I don't know if I can crack it."

"If that doesn't work then we're gonna have to get in some other way." Falco replied, trying to be encouraging but failing miserably.

Fox was close to breaking. The system wasn't aware of his tampering yet, but it wouldn't be long before his laptop would be spotted and military police officers would be sent to...deal with it.

Then, an opening.

"Falco, get ready to move. I've bought us 45 seconds." Fox sighed in relief. His hands flew to hit the system where it hurt.

Fox looked up over the hedgerow, and noticed the security camera on the checkpoint nearby stop moving in it's constant, sweeping motion.

"We're in! Go!" Fox yelled, and shoved the laptop into his bag, vaulting over the hedgerow and sprinting into the plaza. Fox's legs carried him swiftly past the cameras with ease. His body rocketed towards the second checkpoint, which was around the other side of the building.

_33, 32, 31._

"Falco, I'm heading around the building, thirty seconds." Fox coughed out in between heavy breath. No sign of any cadets yet; Fox only hoped he stayed as lucky. Fox's head counted down the milliseconds as he bolted around the other side of the building and past the second checkpoint, with the hangar in sight.

"WARNING. PROGRAM ELIMINATED. RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE EVACUATION." Fox's headset said. The Academy security systems had found him.

"Falco, run! The virus's down!" Fox shouted, glancing up at the third checkpoint's cameras, only to find them operating.

"What...?! Shit!" Falco gasped; the sound of guns could be heard in the backround.

"Falco!" Fox yelled again.

"The checkpoints have turrets, watch out!"

"Useless program...!" Fox cursed his own work.

Fox headed up to the third checkpoint, whose turrets immediately turned to change Fox into a bloody smear on the road. White plasma sprayed from their barrels and towards him. Fox ducked and dodged them narrowly; he could feel them as they passed his head.

Alarms begin to shriek in the air, letting the whole base know that the perimeter was breached.

"Falco, guns out! We're doing this the hard way!" Fox shouted over the ringing sound of the guns.

Fox's blaster had been loaded with a magazine of high-impact electric rounds, courtesy of Falco's wallet. When fired successfully, the bullet would deliver enough shock to incapacitate the target without killing them. It was a wonder of engineering, but it left them at a disadvantage. The bullets were not designed for their blasters, and therefore made aiming at a distance greater than 50 yards a chore. Fox just prayed the hangar wasn't crowded by now.

"Fox, I'm in; counting three guards, each armed with assault rifles. I'm waiting for you to flank." Falco whispered as Fox ran past the last of the checkpoints, with lasers following him. As Fox came to the hangar, he noticed that the fighters were still in their spots, as well as the guards Falco spoke of. He was close enough to take all three down accurately with the electric rounds, so he did. Quick and easy. Falco sprung up from behind his hiding spot and began running to the nearest fighter. Fox did the same.

"They're gonna follow us up there, you know." Falco said; from the corner of his eye Fox could see the avian leaping into the cockpit.

"Nothing they can do we can't match." Fox replied, flipping switches to bring the engines online.

"ENGINES, ONLINE AT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT. FUEL AT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT." The ship's computer sang. "WEAPONS ONLINE. MK II SMART BOMBS ENABLED. AUTOMATIC DEFENSE TURRETS ENABLED. READY FOR COMBAT."

"Just like old times, huh Falco?" Fox shouted, excited to finally be back in the seat of a space fighter.

"We'll really be feelin' the nostalgia in a minute; pilots are coming out of the doors to the hangar."

"We can take 'em." Fox said, smirking.

"They're just kids, man. We can't kill them." Falco said, showing his soft side.

"Shit, you're right. Alright, disable all range mode, we gotta get the speed on our side. Check your G-Diffusers."

"I'm good to go." Falco said, pulling his fighter out of his parking spot and onto the runway.

"All systems are go. Let's do this."

…...

"Four fighters in pursuit." Fox said, checking the radar sitting before him.

"Light work." Falco scoffed, his face appearing on the communicator below the radar.

"Let's take them into the asteroid belt."

"Sector 32-J, like back in the Lylat Wars?" Falco asked.

"If we can evade them long enough, then yeah. Getting there is gonna be the hard part." Fox said pensively.

"They're closing in. Two are splitting off to me; the rest are yours."

"Got it. Split up; get them off of you and meet me at the end of the asteroid field. Fox out." Fox ordered.

As the radar pointed out, the two fighters began closing in on him as he peeled away from Falco with a roll. The asteroid field was roughly four to five minutes away, which would probably be extended due to evasive maneuvers he would be taking. As long as he gunned it when he could, he'd be fine. He couldn't give them too much time; even a new pilot will land a hit on an expert given enough chances.

"LOCK- ON DETECTED. RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE ACTION." The computer droned.

"This is Cornerian Fighter 761. Show signs of submission or we will shoot you down. You have thirty seconds." A young man in full flight attire appeared on Fox's communicator. There was no chance of that.

"If you fail to comply we will fire. Ten seconds."

Fox's fingers wrapped around the control stick, waiting for the lasers to come up behind him.

Green plasma shot out from the fighters behind him, and Fox brought the ship into an aggressive roll which forced the cannon fire off of him. Immediately after the firing stopped, Fox brought the ship to a halt and watched the two fighters sail past him, at which point he slammed the accelerator aggressively to it's full potential. The ship sliced through the void of space with blinding speed, pushing Fox's stomach deep down into his feet as the sensation of G-Force overcame his senses and his vision became blurry and weak.

"WARNING. LOCK-ON DETECTED." The computer screeched.

The fighters were once again behind him, this time closer. Fox waited again for the shots.

Once the enemy fired, Fox rolled once more and looped his fighter over them. Oh, how he wished he could fire and blow them away effortlessly. The people flying them were sort of on his side, though; they just didn't know it.

Fox dropped down below them to buy himself some time and accelerated again towards the asteroid field, which was now in sight.

"Fox, it's Falco. I'm clear of them."

Always had to be faster, didn't he?

"Alright, good. I'm moving into the asteroid field now, let's see if they're brave enough to follow me." Within seconds Fox's ship was weaving it's way in between the gigantic rocks. He quickly checked his radar, as he normally did after losing somebody. All clear; the two fighters had buggered off.

"I'm free. Set course for Aquas."


	9. Leap of Faith

"And then I told the guy that I wasn't having any of that, so he got all defensive and started callin' guards up to the room!" Falco laughed as he told his story. Two Cornerian fighters drifted through space, side by side.

"Damn, man... still holding up the tough guy image after fifteen years, huh?" Fox asked, tired but interested in the conversation.

"Yeah, I gotta keep that up...only thing I know besides flying."

"And while you were doing that, I was living job to job and slowly descending into madness..." Fox pondered, trying to remember how he used to be, but only recalling vague parts of his former personality.

"You seem fine to me. Maybe a bit older and angrier, but still Fox."

"It's just good to be back." Fox admitted.

"How far is Aquas now?" Falco asked.

"We're close. Should just be a couple of minutes..." Fox's voice trailed off as his eyes peered off into the void, searching for the blue planet.

"You think Slippy will come back?"

"I have no idea...the way I see it, it could go one of two ways; he either tells us to piss off or he runs to meet us at his doorstep. I can't say I'm leaning towards either right now, though." Fox replied.

"I don't think he'll come back." Falco said.

"Why's that?"

"Well...when he was with us, he had nowhere else to go. Now, though... he's got something else he can live for. He doesn't need us, truth be told." Falco sighed grimly.

"You might have a point, but we still have to try." Fox said, trying to ignore the flawless reasoning behind his friend's argument.

"Yeah, and I agree with you and all, but... you know I'm always prepared for the worst, that's all. Maybe my negative attitude is affecting my take on this as well."

"That might be the most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say." Fox chuckled. Falco returned the laugh, and said,

"Yeah...gettin' old pushes that sort of thing outta you."

A period of calm silence overcame them, as their eyes searched the horizon for Aquas. Fox didn't remember the planet well; he hadn't been there in some time, and even then he hadn't gone there many times. The only thing that came to mind when someone said "Aquas" was the beauty of the planet; the pristine waters foaming onto the narrow beaches which led into dense jungles full of life and noise.

"I see it." Falco said unenthusiastically.

"Where?" Fox asked, squinting.

"You can hardly see it, but it's right in front of us."

Through squinted eyes Fox could see the tiny blue dot floating through space.

"You wanna race?" Falco asked.

"That's a stupid question." Fox smirked and slammed the accelerator forwards, thrusting himself towards the blue planet. Falco followed closely behind.

"You could've at least counted down!"

"Yeah, I could've." Fox said, feeling the heat rising as his entrails twisted and turned inside of him. Falco's ship pushed it's way through space inches behind his, trying to find a way to overtake him. When Falco lurched to the left, Fox lurched to the left to block him. The blue planet grew in size before Fox's eyes, and it was now visible all throughout his cockpit.

"This is Aquas Outpost 376 radioing in to Cornerian Fighter 13." Fox's communications channel blared.

"You're patched through. Requesting to land." Fox said, his knuckles still glowing white around the accelerator.

"Request denied; your fighter is stolen property, sir. A group of fighters is being sent up to your to escort you to the ground, where you will be arrested. Any violent acts against our fighters by you or your accomplice will be met with force. Out."

_We didn't jam the comms!_

"Falco, you hear that?"

"Shit...that was stupid." Falco said, his fist audibly pounding against the controls of his fighter.

"Hmm...any ideas?" Fox said, keeping a level head.

"It's a stretch, but I've got one." Falco sighed.

"Well, let's hear it." Fox said, his eyes scanning back and worth on his radar.

"We bring their fighters down into the atmosphere, fly low over the ground, and pull one of those fancy low-altitude drops we always did in the Arwings. Fighters crash, they think we're dead, and we're clear."

"How do we get to Slippy?"

"We'll improvise." Falco said coolly.

"And how do we get back to Corneria?" Fox asked.

"We'll improvise." Falco said again in the same manner.

"Damn...you sure you're good to pull the drop off?"

"Yeah, I'm ready. You?" Falco asked. Two blue blips appeared on Fox's radar and instantly turned red, showing that they had locked onto him.

"I'm a bit out of practice, but what other choice do we have?" Fox said.

"Let's do it, then. I'm scanning the landscape for a drop zone, make sure you keep those guys off me or we're toast." Falco ordered. As if on cue, the Aquasian fighters fired their plasma cannons; both of the Cornerian fighters rolled to dodge the shots and flew towards the surface.

"This is Aquas 4, surrender now or we will use deadly force." A toad's voice croaked out over Fox's communications channel. Fox instantly flipped it off to avoid the breath recognition system; a database that recorded the breath of every member of the military-including mercenaries hired on military money- in order to ease search and rescue attempts and better identify them should they undergo plastic surgery or other body-changing experiences.

It wasn't long after Star Fox blew past the two Aquasian fighters that the red tip flames of re-entry began forming around the nose and wings of the Cornerian fighters. The accepted rule of space dogfighting was that re-entry was a period of ceasefire. If a ship even attempted to maneuver in those conditions, it would be ripped to pieces by the sheer pressure of the air around it.

"Fox, I've found a spot. Twenty kilometers to the Northeast; I'm marking it on your tact-map." Falco said. Immediately a gold dot appeared on the radar.

"They're still locked onto us. I'd say if they pass us we're home free." Fox said.

"They have the advantage though; height and speed are on their side." Falco retaliated as the sandy shores of Aquas' islands became visible.

"That might be true, but they're not retired members of Star Fox brought back to life by hired mercs." Fox replied.

Falco chuckled and said, "You're right. Let's show these kids how it's done."

The two Cornerian fighters lulled through the air, waiting for the perfect moment to react. Above them, two Aquasian fighters careened through the atmosphere, heading on a warpath straight towards them.

"On three," Fox began, "One...two...three!"

The fighters looped into the air like synchronized swimmers during a routine as the plasma from their enemies splashed into the ocean. The Cornerian fighters came down feet above the trees and leveled out, their assailants a worry of the past.

"Alright, 15 seconds to drop. Opening the wings." Fox began as sweat began trickling down his neck. He'd only pulled this maneuver off successfully once in real life; the rest of the attempts being lucky jumps on a simulator in the hallowed halls of the Great Fox. In short, he was nervous. Very nervous indeed.

"Five seconds. Whatever happens, happens." Fox said.

"Amen, buddy." Falco replied. The milliseconds ticked down in Fox's mind.

Suddenly, he felt his body jolting from the cockpit and into the air. The back wing of the fighter sliced past his head and swiped his ear, drawing blood. Fox's muscles tightened as he dropped ten feet into the sand below. He came down with a thud, his legs absorbing the impact and channeling it through his body. He collapsed into the sand and lay there in agony. In the distance, two explosions. Then silence.


	10. Atlantid

**Before I start this chapter, I just want to begin by thanking you guys for all the support on this story. With 2000 views and counting, I'm really excited to see how it all turns out in the end, and it's all because of you guys. Thanks.**

**-ThatWinchieGuy **

Darkness. All he saw was darkness. Was he dreaming? He blinked his eyes. Open and close. Open and close. Darkness. He could feel his hands fumbling around in the dark, grabbing at nothing. Was he dead? His lungs were near collapsing as he coughed and heaved on the ground. He was on the ground, right?

"Falco?" He shouted. He remembered. The jump, the explosions, the silence.

"Fox!" A garbled voice answered. He could tell the voice was somewhere nearby and not inside of his head.

"Am I hurt?" He asked. He couldn't tell for himself, as a numbing sensation overcame his body.

"You should be fine." Falco panted. He could tell that Falco was dragging something, and that something was probably him.

"Fox, I need you to look at my eyes." Falco said.

"I can't see." He replied plainly. The darkness was now replaced by a hazy mist, swirling in front of his pupils.

"Shit..." Falco murmured.

"Am I hurt?" He asked again, not liking the tone in his friend's voice.

"Fox, can you breathe in for me?" Falco asked, now farther away. He could hear something rustling in the distance, like an animal running through the plants. He obeyed and sucked in air calmly, his muscles quivering.

"Alright, now breathe out, nice and easy, Fox." Falco said. Once again, he followed his instructions and let out a shaky breath. He felt as though his esophagus was going to close in on itself any minute now.

"In and out, that's it." Falco said, his voice slightly panicked. The avian began walking through what sounded like sand towards him. He continued breathing carefully, unsure of the future.

"Here, Fox, drink." Falco held his feathered hands up to his mouth. He swallowed the water offered to him cautiously; cool, refreshing water. Color began forming before him. Blobs and blurry figures meshed together like an abstract piece.

"Good, good. Keep breathing." Falco said. He could see the blue mass of his friend beside him, but he could not yet make out the details of his form.

"Am I hurt?" He persisted, his vision shifting down to his hands, which were opened in his lap. He sat there trying to adjust his vision.

"You went into shock due to the force of the landing, but you're okay now. Can you see?" Falco asked, his voice slowing to it's usual, calm tone.

"Sort of. It's blurry but I can see you. I'll be fine." Fox said, his eyes focusing in on the lines in his palms.

"Can you walk?"

"I don't know, you've got to give me a minute." Fox mumbled, checking himself over. He didn't feel any pain.

"We've got to move under the treeline before those fighters get back and radar the area." Falco said, pulling Fox to his feet. The vulpine's knees buckled as he was dragged through the sand, legs dangling loosely from his hips. Falco pulled the two of them into the jungle, where the clicks and croaks of amphibians and insects surrounded them. Whilst this happened, Fox began recalling the events leading up to his embarrassing crash landing.

"We should've just taken a cruiser." Fox said.

"Wolf could have been using their information to find you. We wouldn't want him tailing us here so I didn't even suggest the idea." Falco replied.

"Maybe that's why I immediately fell for the plan of leaping out of fighters at six hundred miles an hour."

"Because going into shock is better than getting shot, really."

"We could've just snuck onto the plane." Fox pointed out.

"You know how the security is on those things, and based on our last mission I'm not so sure subtlety is our strong suit." Falco joked.

"That's true."

"According to my phone's map- and it is a sort of shitty map, mind you- we're on the Island of Atlantid, which has Atlantid City on it, which is where Slippy is." Falco said proudly.

"How far's the city?" Fox asked, still struggling to stand on his own.

It's not too far, actually. About 20 miles to the south."

"20 miles is a short distance for you now?" Fox complained.

"Look, I tried to land us as close as I could without getting shot down by anti air guns, okay? Besides, it should only take us a few hours, and we're close to a road. It'll be fine, trust me." Falco said, picking up his pace.

…...

The rain poured down as two weary travelers pressed on into the storm. They trudged up a hill alongside the highway, which cut directly through the jungle, so that the limbs of trees stretched out over the road and shaded the cars. Currently, the rumble of engines was replaced by the soft splashing of rain onto the soaked asphalt. The howling of the wind as it pushed its way past the travelers, threatening to knock them to the ground. A crack of thunder that made way for a flash of lightning.

"How much further?" Fox shouted over nature to make his voice heard, even though his companion was only a few feet away from him.

"Not too far! Should only be two or three miles! We would be able to see the city if it wasn't raining!" Falco replied, his voice lost in the wind.

"You said that an hour ago!" Fox said, clearly not happy with the way things were going. At this point, it seemed as though being chased by Wolf's assassins would've been two times better than this.

"So the weather didn't hold up, I'm sorry I can't control it, Fox! Jeez, would you just shut up and focus on getting there quicker? I don't like this either, and your bitching isn't helping anything!"

"Let's not forget this was your idea in the first place! If you would've just evaded them, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Don't pull that shit on me, Fox, because you went along with it. We're here now, so shut up and deal with it." Falco shrugged the vulpine away, picking up his pace to combat the storm.

Fox quickly calmed down. He and Falco's fights were always built on sand and not on stone; they never lasted, and usually never had any fallout. The rain helped. To Fox, dangerous situations had always been somewhat soothing. It just felt right.

"Fox, look!" Falco shouted, his arm springing up to point into the sky. There, a dim blue light blinked on every few seconds. Civilization. "Shouldn't be far now!" Falco said, bringing his already-quickened pace to a near jog. Fox's shorter legs struggled to keep up.

Minutes passed by, and the duo began passing various suburban buildings that were nestled next to the highway. Fox pondered what living there must be like, having a jungle in your backyard... Then again, to the people of Aquas, that was normal. He wondered what Slippy's new-found home looked like. He'd always enjoyed a smaller dwelling, but his tastes might have matured as he grew. For all he knew, Slippy's house could be bigger than the one the vulpine had spent his childhood in. That would be quite impressive.

Aquas' cities were normally walled off, in order to prevent the intrusion of wildlife. After some time, the animals of the jungle stopped caring about whether or not people lived there. For a few years, there was an epidemic of poison-dart frogs, which began coming into people's homes. So, the walls went up, and Atlantid was no exception to the norm. Fox and Falco reached the large, glassy surface of the wall and immediately ran for the opening in it. The two of them sat down on one of the many benches underneath the wall, which separated two completely different worlds.

As they sat there, finally free from the clutches of nature, something dawned on Fox. Another thing they may have overlooked in their "perfect" plan to find Slippy.

"Uhm...Falco?" He asked.

"Yeah?" Falco replied, attempting to dry himself by patting on his clothes.

"Uh...do we know where Slippy lives?" Fox sat there, hands folded across his lap.

"We're there, idiot." Falco said, now frowning because yet another one of his ideas was going south.

"No, but where EXACTLY he lives?"

Falco thought for a second before his eyes widened in shock.

"We don't, do we?" Fox asked. Even in the dark, the look on Falco's face was still visible. It would probably stick with the vulpine for a while; it was comical, but it wasn't, really.

The avian switched back to his normal, collected mask.

"No... no, I don't think so. But last time I talked to him, he did mention something about downtown." Falco replied meekly.

"We could call him."

"Yeah, we could, but I feel like it'd be too weird. 'Hey buddy, how've you been, what's your address again?' I think it'd be better if we just sort of showed up there." Falco said, still trying to stick to his stupid plan which Fox was now regretting agreeing to.

"Falco, he's really not going to mind." Fox reasoned.

"Yeah, but still... it'll be awkward."

"I'm calling him. We're not messing up again." The vulpine joked.

"Okay, but let's get somewhere safer and spend the night there first." Falco jumped up and began meandering out towards the city, hesitant to let himself step back out into the rain.

"Why, so you can look up where he lives on the internet?"

"No...yes." Falco's head hung from his neck. Fox lifted himself up from the bench and patted his friend on the back before stepping out into the rain.

"Come on, let's go find a hotel."

…...

Fox awoke to the sweet sound of macaws shrieking in the distance. A single ray of sunshine cracked through the blinds of the hotel room, landing on his eye. Fox slid out of the plush covers of the bed and walked over to the window to get a better view of the city. He pulled open the blinds and was greeted by the sight of the harbor, which spanned all along the south side of the city's limits. Based on Falco's snooping the night before, Slippy was somewhere out of sight, to the north. Even so, sometimes a mission was more about the means rather than the end. And this view was certainly helping back that up; odd-shaped ships lurching into the air, nets flying into the water, people wandering between various market stalls set up on the docks. Fox played with the idea of heading down there and finding something to eat; Falco, as usual, probably wouldn't be up for a few hours. Krystal had always enjoyed fish...

Fox threw on his now-dry leather jacket and headed down to the lobby. It was what you would expect from the average hotel; a modern interior with granite flooring, a polished oak wood desk, carpeted hallways and sitting areas here and there. Fox wasn't particularly interested in it.

The night before didn't hold many chances to observe the city he was in, so Fox took this opportunity to do so. As he walked through the door and into the morning sun, he was greeted by the sight of the north side of the city, which was the complete opposite of the south side. Skyscrapers reached into the air in across the street, and people jostled each other through the sidewalks. Realizing that he was in the way, Fox followed the throng of people heading south towards the docks.

The city felt like Corneria City, only more humid and compact. There was about the same amount of people living here as there were in Corneria, but Atlantid had far less land, so it was far more dense than Corneria. Truth be told, Fox didn't like it very much, but it would suffice.

Fox's boots plodded through the damp back alleys leading to the wharf. Apartment buildings surrounded him and blocked his view. People stood on balconies, wondering who this strange outsider strolling though their backyard was.

After reaching the docks, Fox ducked into a small cafe. An ornate red sign with gold trim hung above the door. It read:

_The Lone Wolf Cafe_

Fox thought how about how fitting the name was, given his current situation.

Waiting inside was an average setting; a few small tables lay off to the right, and a coffee bar to the left. A hostess' stand stood between the two areas. The walls were painted red, like the sign outside. A large window gave customers a magnificent view of the ocean.

Fox nodded to the hostess and indicated that he was headed to the bar. He had never been much of a morning person, really, but he was even less of a breakfast person. He rarely ate in the mornings, but usually sustained himself with a daily dose of caffeine, like many people.

"Hey hun, what can I get ya'?" The bartender said. She was a toad, like many denizens of Aquas. Fox had never really found toads attractive himself, but others may have ventured to call her that at some point.

"Coffee, black. Thanks." Fox replied bluntly. He'd been forced to grow a taste for black coffee while living in his old apartment, since he usually couldn't afford sugar.

"Never seen your pretty face 'round here, hun. What brings you to the city?" The bartender asked, turning around to pour out Fox's coffee.

"Just traveling through on business." Fox said.

The bartender came around and set the coffee mug on the bar.

"Hey, aren't you that mercenary guy? McClad, or somethin'?" She asked.

"It's McCloud. And yeah, that's me." Fox replied.

"Well, it's an honor, Mr. McCloud. My sister once saw your ships flying around when she was on a plane. Gee, that must've been around... twenty years ago, I reckon."

Fox finished his coffee while making idle chit-chat with the bartender. Afterwords, he returned to the hotel, to find Falco still asleep. Fox shook him by the shoulders to wake him up. Following a series of disgruntled questions and sloppy conversation, the Star Fox team headed out to bring back their expert engineer.


	11. Grow Up

**Before I begin this chapter I want to clear a few things up regarding all your reviews. First off, there's been more than a few suggestions regarding the length of the chapters I write; I completely agree with you all. The chapters should be longer. Right now, however, I just don't feel comfortable with writing that long of a chapter. I've already started making my chapters almost double the length of their predecessors, but whether or not I can write a 4000-6000 words for every chapter is debatable. I'll keep trying, but don't expect anything of that size right away. Another reviewer mentions that they would like me to "change the story" simply because it's too mainstream and it's not accurate to the canon of the Star Fox series. In my opinion, the canon leaves a lot to be desired, so I try to get away from it as much as possible now. I'm not going to just change my story because you'd like it to be something else. Sorry about that. Moving on; there's also been a lot of questions surrounding the point that there may be easier ways to do something. For example, Fox and Falco could have just taken a shuttle off Corneria, and to be honest, I'm not quite so sure why I didn't really think of that as I was writing chapters 7 and 8. I think I'm too focused on adding action where it's not necessarily needed, and I'm not so sure why I keep doing that as of late. **

**And, of course I would once again like to thank you guys for the amazing support of this story. What was intended as a side project quickly turned into my main story for the time being. I always appreciate your reviews, and I'm looking forward to getting many more before it's all said and done. **

**-ThatWinchieGuy**

"How do I look?" Falco asked.

"What the...? It's Slippy, he doesn't care how you look."

"Yeah, I know but... I'd rather not look the way you did when I found you, that's all." Falco said.

"Thanks, asshole." Fox replied, not phased by the comment.

"Well it's sort of true!"

"I know that, but you don't have to bring it up," Fox said, waving his hand, "let's go."

It was midday now, and the streets were even more crowded than before. Fox and Falco pushed their way through the crowd of people, each with their own mindset and agenda. It was amazing how much Atlantid could change in just a short amount of time; it could be a bustling metropolis in the afternoon and then appear to be a ghost town by midnight.

"Jeez... a lot different than last night, huh?" Falco stated, clearly thinking the same thing Fox was.

"Hell, it's different than it was this morning. This place sure is strange..." Fox pondered.

The rest of their conversation was muffled by the sounds of the streets; children running through the forests of adult legs, people unanimously talking on their phones, engines shouting on the roads.

Slippy's new home was nestled in between the walls of adjacent apartment buildings. Fox knew he'd always preferred a smaller dwelling. Whenever they'd discussed their futures after Star Fox, Slippy always brought up starting a family in the city, which was weird for an eighteen year old mercenary, but noble in it's own right. Fox thought he'd be a mercenary forever at that point. He'd keep going paycheck to paycheck until Andross died by his hand... Just thinking about the ape made him angry.

Right now, Fox's mind was a whirl of flashbacks and memories, all combining to form confusion. He had no idea where he was, why he was doing any of this, whether or not it would work, or how to tell if it did. He examined his hand as it pulled open the door to Slippy's apartment complex. It looked old. Tired. Dying, yet curable. What that cure was, he couldn't say.

"Mr. McCloud and Lombardi here to see Mr. Toad. Is he here?" Fox asked the secretary, bluntly. That was another thing that drew up questions; what happened to him?

"He's here, but..." The secretary straighted his glasses and looked onto the computer screen in front of him, "But it says here that a Fox McCloud and Falco Lombardi are not allowed access to him. I'm sorry, gentlemen, but if that's all, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Falco's hand shot towards the desk.

"Are you sure that's what it says?" He blurted out.

"Yes, sir." The secretary responded.

"Does it say why?" Falco asked, raising his voice in frustration.

"No, sir. Only that you two are unwelcome, sir."

"You don't understand, buddy. We gotta talk to that frog." Falco's tone became dark and menacing. Fox watched in a mixed sense of awe and confusion.

"I'm afraid that's not possible, sir. Please leave immediately or I will call security. I really don't want to do that." The secretary mumbled.

"Fox, go get Slippy." Falco said, staring the secretary down. "What room is it, kid?"

"I-I can't release that information without consent of..."

"Just tell me the damn room and nothing'll happen. We're not doing anything bad." Falco said, now leaning over the counter.

"Sir, please, just stop, I don't want any trouble!" The secretary shrieked.

"Falco!" Fox shouted. The avian's head whipped back to meet Fox's.

"What?!" He responded, his body in mid-lunge at the secretary.

"Leave the kid alone. We'll get to Slippy some other way." Fox said.

"Yes, please, sir, listen to him!" The secretary squealed as Falco pulled away.

"Fox, what the hell?" Falco whispered as the two of them left the apartment building and the sniveling secretary behind them.

"Look at us. We're becoming criminals, not mercenaries. Hell, I shot that kid Meteo right in the damn face while he looked me straight in the eye with no remorse. Whether we like it or not we've changed, man, and it's not for the better."

Falco began processing the information given to him. Had he really become the very thing he wanted to stop? Maybe he had, maybe he hadn't. He'd certainly changed, he was almost certain of that. And Fox had changed, that much was obvious. Maybe the vulpine had a point.

"You're right, man."

The two of them stood there in an awkward silence for a few moments, trying to comprehend what had just occurred, but to no avail.

"Alright, what now?" Fox asked.

"We still gotta get Slippy."

"Right, right... let's just call him. Maybe it'll be as simple as that." Fox suggested.

"Somehow I don't think that's even worth the time. Also, it might tip him off that we're looking for him." Falco said.

"We'll keep it as a backup...I doubt we can get help from anyone in the family. They're gonna want him to stay right there. Maybe we should head back to the hotel and look over our options. WITHOUT threatening secretaries." Fox said.

"Agreed. Let's do it."

…...

Fox sat in front of his laptop with his head resting lazily in his palm. His eyes glanced over to the digital clock on the nightstand, which read:

0130

He and Falco had been mulling over hundreds of plans to bring Slippy back all day. Falco was currently slouched in the corner, nibbling away at some piece of food that was unidentifiable by Fox.

"Maybe..." Falco began, "Maybe we could fly ships over the apartment to get his attention, and then go looking for him after it!"

"We'd need to get more ships, and there's no way I'm doing that." Fox countered.

Falco let out of a sigh of frustration and banged his head against the wall.

"There's no way!" He exclaimed.

"There always is..." Fox mumbled, his fingers clicking on his keyboard as if they only had seconds to live.

"You know, we wouldn't have to be doing this right now if you just let me get through that kid." Falco complained.

"Even if that did work, I'm pretty sure he would have called security before we even got to Slippy. This is a better option, really."

"Better option? Screw that, we should just barge in there. I know you wanna be all nice and stuff but efficiency is important too!"

Fox's eyes flitted across his laptop's screen, his ears not listening to Falco's words. It looked like somebody was trying to call them...yes! Somebody was trying to establish a connection to his laptop! Who was it? Wolf? Slippy? Krystal?

"Falco! Look!" Fox pointed to the monitor, which was displaying various stats and numbers.

"Someone's trying to call us?"

"I say we wait it out. Whoever it is wants to talk to us bad." Fox said.

The two stood there in silence, studying the screen like children in school. Their ears perked at the slightest of sounds.

Static.

"Hello, Fox," A nasally voice began, "I know what you and Falco want from me. I'm sorry to say that I can't do that. I have my family now. You two need to stop living in the past and move on. Star Fox is done, as much as I'd love for it to still be kicking around. Just, please...don't make it weird. Don't try to contact me again. For the last time, Slippy, out."

Static.

"Wait...what?" Falco wondered aloud. "Fox, trace the call! We gotta talk to him!"

"He's gone." Fox replied meekly, his head hanging low over his chest.

Team Star Fox stayed silent, as though they'd just witnessed the death of a member. How could he say that? They hadn't even gotten the chance to talk to him about it. Without Slippy, the whole thing wouldn't feel right.

"Well..." Falco sighed, "What now?"

"I guess we head back, see what we can do at home."

What would make Slippy say that? Yes, he had his family, and that was important, but what about the team? Were they not important as well? What about all those years in the Academy, all the years aboard the Great Fox, fighting alongside one another to the death?

"We can't give up now, man." Falco said.

"I'm going home. Maybe Slippy's right. Maybe it's time I grow the hell up." Fox said, picking himself up from the chair.

"Wh...What?! Fox, what the he-!"

"I'm going to see Krystal."


	12. Krystal

"Wait...what?"

"Try to get Slippy back." Fox said, sliding his leather jacket over his shoulders. "I think he's lost anyways but we have to try. Keep me updated."

"Woah woah woah there, Fox, hold up." Falco said, pulling the vulpine backwards by the arm. "You're not leaving, we're not splitting up again."

"You're not really one to talk about leaving." Fox snarled, shrugging the feathered hand off of him.

"I'm on your side here, buddy, really, I am, but we gotta focus on one thing at a time and stay together. You leaving isn't gonna help."

"Falco, Slippy's done with this! Either that or he's being threatened, in which case we're putting his wife and kids at risk if we try to get him back on the team!" Fox shouted.

Falco's eyes averted towards the floor, where his foot was tapping lightly against the carpet of the hotel room.

"Why the sudden change of heart? Why the hell would you think that now, of all times, was the time to say you want to go after Krystal? I mean, seriously? After all the work we did to get here, now you want to leave? When we heard Slippy literally two seconds ago? Your priorities are wacked, man. I know you love her and all that crap, but really..." Falco put his hands on his hips and sauntered away from Fox, his gaze fixated out the window.

"Falco, I've been putting this off for a long time. It'd help if you just backed me up and listened."

"I know you're supposed to be the leader and all, but I'm just not seeing it. To be honest, I don't really have a reason to back you up right now because you've been so meek and quiet since we started back up." Falco said, turning his head towards Fox, but keeping his body squared towards the city.

"If I go do this, the old Fox is back. To get Slippy back, we're gonna need him. Hell, even I know I've been a complete bystander this entire time. I have to go do this because otherwise, we aren't gonna be able to get back on our feet. All four of us." Fox pleaded.

Falco sighed and ran his hand through his hair, tugging it in a vain attempt to relieve the stress.

"Just go..." Falco whispered. "Go, go and get yourself back in shape. Even I know you won't make it without her, as much as I hate to see it that way. Go."

"Again, try to get in contact with Slippy, find out what's going on. If Wolf's after him, tell me the second you find out. Don't be stupid, but try to get to him."

"Will do, sir." Falco smirked. "It's good to have the real Fox back."

"It's good to be back." Fox said.

And Fox did feel like he was back at square one. Something changed when he heard what Slippy said. He knew it wasn't intended to change him, but it did.

"_You need to stop living in the past and move on..."_

It seemed like good advice when shown in conjunction with what had been going through Fox's mind before the call came in.

_How can I convince her to come back...if not for me, then for the team?_

Any hope of their relationship returning was just that...hope. A blind desire for a better world. Fox wanted her back, but he knew that more than likely wasn't going to happen. There was solid probabilty that she would come back if the team needed her, but... Fox didn't know which would be more painful; knowing she was out there and not being able to see her, or knowing she doesn't love him anymore and having to see her every day. Maybe she still did love him. Maybe...

Fox's mind snapped back to reality as he walked down the sidewalk in downtown Atlantid. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Falco's number.

"You just left!" Falco exclaimed.

"I think our little charade there was more dramatic than practical."

"Yeah...yep, you're probably right." Falco agreed.

"We need a better plan than 'lay low and try to talk to Slippy while I go on a wild goose chase.' I need to get to Corneria, and I'm not thinking of robbing the military again." Fox chuckled, looking over his shoulder to make sure nobody had heard him.

"Probably for the best, really." Falco joked.

"I'm thinking public transport. I need another person's identity to get on or else Wolf will find me. And I'm not stealing one." Fox said, his tone very official and serious.

"I've got a couple favors I can use up. You okay going in drag?" Falco joked.

"Whatever it takes, really." Fox frowned, not happy with the way his plan was going.

"You're going as my friend from the Hot Rodders then; Zoey Beckham. Cute little girl, got with her a couple times." Falco snickered.

"And here I thought having a horny partner wouldn't pay off. You sure she'll just let us use her identity?"

"Fox, this girl's dumb as a post. She'd do anything for me."

"Get her on board. Once I'm off the planet you'll need to get to Slippy." Fox said. "I'm leaving that part to you."

"I'll make sure it's done." Falco replied.

"Good. Let me know when Beckham's ready on your end and I'll do my part to get on the shuttle."

"Good luck, man. I hope this works out with Krystal."

"You and me both... Alright. Time to go shopping." Fox sighed. Falco's laughter could be heard through the cell phone as Fox hung up on him.

…...

Fox scratched the wig on his head nervously. He wasn't used to all this sneaking around and fake identity use. He didn't like it one bit. But, if it meant he was going to see Krystal with the confidence and drive to bring her back, he'd put up with it.

The shuttle began to lurch off the runway, and Fox felt the familiar feeling of acceleration all over again. Of course, it wasn't as potent as an Arwing, but it still felt good. It was odd that he was feeling as giddy as a schoolchild while the people around him clutched their armrests and pretended to be somewhere else. Fox only wished he was flying, and not stuck here in a wig and women's clothing.

Nobody had been placed in seats near his row; he could only thank Fate for this. Maybe Krystal was meant to come back, and this was going to be easy. Or perhaps it was the opposite; a little treat before one of the biggest letdowns of his life. He could only wonder.

Fox's stomach gradually began churning, harder and harder. He felt as though he was going to be sick, and he wasn't even there yet. What if she was with someone else? No, she wouldn't do that...right? She certainly was attractive enough to get any man she wanted. No, she wouldn't want anybody else; she'd said so. She'd promised. Then again, there were many promises he made to her that were lost to the mists of time. What if she was dating someone simply to spite him when this day came?

The flight dragged on. Fox could feel the hairs on his neck twitching. He didn't want to look like he'd grown younger. He knew that if he wasn't calm he'd begin blundering over his words and scratching the back of his neck like a complete idiot, and she'd stand there picking him apart piece by piece. That's if she would even talk to him.

This was the woman he'd told that he'd loved her a million times. He could do this.

Fox's balled fist knocked lightly on the apartment door, trembling with fear.

"Okay..." he sighed.

A few years passed and the door finally opened.

She was the same Krystal...older, more refined, rough around the edges, but still beautiful. She was dressed casually, with tight fitting jeans and a red t-shirt. He'd always loved her in red. The world seemed to shrink to a size of a few feet, encompassing only them and nothing else. He didn't notice anything but her eyes. The eyes that symbolized hope in a dying world, the eyes that captivated him the moment he saw them, the eyes that had haunted his dreams for years, and the eyes that sat there now, wondering what the hell he was doing at their doorstep.

"Uh...hey.." Fox choked on his words.

"I knew that was you..." Krystal wondered around, the sweet sound of her voice caused Fox's heart to pump harder, as if he'd just been injected with adrenaline. Without any consent or warning, Fox threw his arms around her, not caring what the consequences would be or whether or not she would care. He needed it.

"Fox, please let go." She replied tiredly, tentatively returning the gesture.

Fox clung to her for a few brief moments before breaking away. The two of them stood there, not entirely sure what was going on or whether or not this was real.

"Fox...why are you here?" Krystal asked, motioning him inside. She sounded aggravated.

"I-I came to see you." He replied, the euphoria now leaving him and making room for panic.

"Obviously." She said, her right hand planted on her hip, and a frown upon her face.

"I take it your not happy to see me." Fox said meekly.

"Fifteen years, Fox. Just let that sink in for a moment."

"You're doing well for yourself." Fox changed the subject and let his eyes roam around the loft.

"Don't try to run from this. You've been doing that for long enough." Krystal countered.

"This isn't easy, you know."

"Neither was finding out that your bastard of a fiance decided to leave in the middle of the night after messing up for the third time in his wretched life!" Krystal said, raising her voice and confronting Fox.

"Krystal..." He said, not wanting to agree with her but realizing that she was right.

"Don't! Just don't, Fox!" Krystal stepped away from him. "Fifteen years, without so much as a goodbye or even a warning. You just left and the team fell the fuck apart! That was what you claimed to be 'the only thing left of your father'! To think that I trusted you, loved you! I can't believe I was so stupid!" Krystal said, tears of anger leaving her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Fox said with a solemn expression on his face.

"You're...sorry?" She said angrily.

"Yes. I know that doesn't count for shit, but I am. Sorry's the best I can give you." Fox whispered. An eerie silence filled the room, while the former lovers stared each other down.

"Why?" Krystal's voice cracked.

"The night I left, I got word of some...business revolving around my father's death."

…...

Peppy had come into his room in the middle of the night. His expression reflected that of a father, who was about to tell his children bad news. It made sense; Peppy practically was Fox's father.

"Son...I don't know if you're awake. I need to say this, and I'd rather not let you hear it, but I have to say it nonetheless."

Fox closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, acting completely unaware of the old man in the room with him, sitting on the end of the bed. He sighed and continued on.

"I know you don't know much about your father's final moments, and it shames me knowing that everything you know is a lie. Andross never ordered Pigma to betray us on that day... he had nothing to do with it. The military, they...they told me to lie to you so that they could just use you as some weapon... It was that or death. What really happened was far different from the story you know. Wolf's father...who is dead now, I made sure of that... Wolf's father was the man that paid Pigma to betray us. I hope you didn't hear this...God knows that life's been tough enough on you already..." Peppy sighed deeply and adjusted his glasses, which reflected the light of Papetoon's moon outside Fox's window. The door shut with a hiss, and Fox immediately whipped himself out of bed and got dressed in full flight attire.

The vulpine tip-toed into the command room, where ROB 64 stood watch.

"Greetings, Fox." He droned.

"Quiet, ROB. Search data on James McCloud." Fox ordered.

"James McCloud. Date of birth: June 21st, 4061. Date of Death: March 6th, 4097. Final place of rest: Unknown, Venom. Biography: Founder of Star Fox Mercenary Squad, established November 25th, 4082, Consisting of Peppy Hare, Pigma Dengar; deceased, and James McCloud; deceased."

"Declassify."

"Order unauthorized."

"Declassify." Fox growled.

"Order unauthorized." ROB repeated.

"Shit...prepare Arwing number 4 for flight." Fox said.

"Preparing. Preparation at 2 percent." ROB buzzed.

Fox slid down through the harrowing halls of the dreadnaught class ship. He thought about saying goodbye, but that would draw the suspicions and the questions. Besides, he'd only be away for the night, probably. If they called him, they called him.

Fox sunk down into the plush seat of the craft and slid the canopy over him. After performing all the necessary checks and balances, he shot off into space at blistering speed.

He would never set foot on the Great Fox again.

…...

"What happened after that?" Krystal asked, the two of them now sitting over coffee in her living room.

"I tried to find all the declassified information I could on my father... got into hacking, started messing with military hardware... I ended up living job to job in an apartment downtown for about a decade, not really sure what was going on and whether or not what I was doing was helping at all." Fox said as his eyes studied the black coffee set before him, with no desire to drink it.

"And not once did you think of telling us? Not once?"

"I did, of course... in the early days of that whole mess I thought that it would all be over soon and I'd have my answers, but in the later days I thought I'd pissed you all far too much for you to even care what happened to me." Fox sighed. "I was stupid...I just...I just don't know what happened, and now I'm left with even more questions than answers."

Krystal stood up and paced the room, unsure of how to react to what she just heard, and even less sure of what he wanted from her. Fox watched the vaguely familiar sway of her hips with caution, as he knew those days were unfortunately over.

"You obviously need something from me, and I want to know what it is."

He wanted to say he needed her. Just her, that was all. To be around him, the bring some sense into the confused world he resided in. Instead, he plainly replied,

"Falco and I are reforming Star Fox. Or rather, making a new one that's not a toy of the military. We want you to come back to the team."

Krystal continued pacing.

"Fox...you know I would help you whenever you needed it. Why you didn't at least come to me all those years ago, I'll never know. But know this; all the trust I had for you is gone. I'm coming back because I know who you can be. I don't like what you are now, and therefore I don't trust you. But I'll come back."

Fox nodded several times and said, "You don't have to do this, you know." Krystal began walking out of the room.

"I know. I'm still going to." She smiled weakly.

"We're staying in a hotel room in Altantid on Aquas. Room 205 in the Grand Aquas Hotel." He mumbled. Fox stood and turned to leave. He turned his head around and took one last glimpse at her. She smiled the same, tired smile to him.


	13. Revelations

Fox and Krystal walked slowly through the shuttle terminal. Fox felt a constant itch on the back of his neck; his body was telling him that he was nervous. It had been like this for two days, now. Every second of the last two days. He kept forcing himself not to scratch, because then she'd know he was nervous.

Along with that was the awkwardness of the last two days. Fox and Krystal hardly talked to one another; they only gave each other sideways glances from time to time. Fox had found that his mood fluctuated constantly. He'd be happy one moment, then angry the next, then depressed the one after that and back to happy. It felt like he was thinking, but he didn't quite know what he was thinking about most of the time. Unless it came to business of course.

Which, right now, it did.

"Falco, we're in the terminal now." Fox said into his phone as Krystal picked up her pace and got ahead of him.

"No news about Slippy. He's still being elusive." Falco replied. It sounded as though he was in the middle of something that required attention.

"What's up?" Fox asked.

"Nothing much..." Falco murmured, "I'm looking for a new base of operations; I don't think the hotel is gonna be so hospitable when we tell them were running a private military corporation out of one of their rooms."

Fox looked up from the floor to take another slanted glance at Krystal, only to find that she was doing the same thing.

"Can't we just use your place?"

"We could, in theory... I don't know, man. I don't want you guys having make up sex in my house." Falco chuckled.

"Uhm...er... that's, uh, not going to happen." Fox could feel his face growing hot. And after so much time spent hiding it!

"Sure, sure... I know you're thinking about it deep down." Falco slowed his breathing to stop himself from laughing at the image of Fox's face he'd fabricated in his mind.

"I'm hanging up on you." Fox said abruptly. Falco's snickering could be heard through the phone for a few moments. Fox picked up his pace to catch up to Krystal, who had obviously noticed a change in the tone of the call.

"After all these years, you're still going around like a nervous wreck." Krystal joked.

"I suppose so." Fox sighed. The conversation stalled again, and the glimmer of the past that just showed itself was gone again.

"So..." Krystal said.

"Yeah..." Fox retaliated.

"Uhm... how'd you sleep?"

"Fine, you?" Fox said, not really sure where this was going.

"Oh, good, because a lot of people complain about the guest bed being too firm and all..."

_What?_

"No, it was fine, thanks." Fox said, now looking up at Krystal to find her wearing a silly smile. "What?"

"Oh...nothing, nevermind."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, forget it..." Krystal murmured.

Maybe the tides were turning or something. Fox didn't see any way in which that could make sense. Krystal was acting strange; whether he should talk to her about it or not was a different question.

"Fox?" She asked, her eyes following her feet.

"Yeah?"

"What happened to you?"

"Wh...what?" Fox asked, taken aback.

"You're not the same. There's something...different about you. I can't quite put my thumb on it." Krystal confessed. She'd probably been thinking that since she first saw him when he appeared out of nowhere on her doorstep.

"I don't know. I've noticed it too." Fox replied as the image of Meteo Jackson's pleading eyes floated in the back of his mind.

The two of them sat down in the musty chairs in front of the shuttle terminal. Fox began thinking of the first time he'd taken Krystal to ride on a shuttle. She had been so fascinated that people could build such a thing and be able to make it all work efficiently. Back then it all seemed so big to her, and now it was nothing. It was amazing what people could adapt to if they stayed in the same place for long enough. Maybe that applied to mindsets, too. Maybe he was permanently broken. He could only hope he wasn't, for old times' sake. He just wanted his life back; was that too much to ask for?

…...

"Hey, Krys." Falco said, hugging his former teammate a bit too amorously for Fox's tastes. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too." She replied.

"Alright, Falco. What's up with Slippy?" Fox demanded.

"Relax, buddy. You guys just got here, and we've got plenty of time. Come in, guys." Falco waved them inside.

_He's hiding something._

"How've you been?" Krystal asked.

"Better than he has." Falco pointed discreetly over his shoulder to the grumpy vulpine behind him. "What's up with him?" He whispered.

"I don't know. My telepathy relies on how I'm feeling as well as how the other person is feeling, and...well, let's just say my powers aren't as strong as they once were."

"I'm right here." Fox said, angry.

"Calm down, Fox. What's up with you? I would think you'd be in a good mood of all things." Krystal said.

"Fine. Falco, what's the situation?" Fox said, completely disregarding the comment and continuing on as sour as ever.

"It's fine, man. Relax."

"You couldn't get to him could you?" Fox said arrogantly.

"Not exactly. Though I do know why." Falco smirked.

"Well? Wipe the stupid grin off your face and spit it out." Fox snarled.

"You really need a massage or something." Falco joked.

"Falco! The job! Why won't Slippy talk to us?" Fox nearly shouted. Deep in his mind he knew Falco was just playing around, but he really wasn't in the playing around mood.

"Slippy doesn't have a family."

"Wha...what?" Fox and Krystal gasped in unison.

"He's working with the Cornerian Military Intelligence Division now. They have all our old tech, all our intel, and they got it all by scrapping the Great Fox when you were down and out."

"He sold out on us?" Fox asked.

"Well, after you went haywire and each of us split off to do our own thing, I'm assuming Slippy decided to put all our stuff to 'good use.' He's probably scared out of his mind that we're coming for him because we're mad." Falco said.

He had a right to be scared. Fox, on the inside, was furious. The Great Fox was not Slippy's, it was his. Why he thought he could just sell it away to some intelligence team was beyond him. On the outside, the vulpine simply placed his fingers over the bridge of his nose and squeezed gently, closing his eyes in a vain attempt to fly away from this.

"That really screws us, then." Fox sighed.

"Not really. I mean, yeah, it sucks that there's no way were getting him back now, but we can still do this." Falco said, consoling his teammates.

"No, it's really, very, very bad." Fox replied, the frustration growing in his voice.

"Why? It's really not, dude, we'll be..."

"We've been set up." Fox blurted out.

"What?" Falco asked, and turned to Krystal. She nodded slowly several times.

"What the hell happened?" Falco asked again.

"My father was never killed by Andross. The Cornerians blackmailed Peppy so that they could use the Star Fox team as their pet without us even knowing. Now, Pepper knows I know the truth; I'm sure of it. He's trying to tie up loose ends. He's making me and Wolf try to kill each other so that he can swoop in and kill the victor while their weakened, and therefore reestablish the military as the main defender of the system." Fox explained, his heart rate picking up as his speech progressed forward.

"No shit..." Falco sighed, sitting down into one of the chairs of his living room. "You mean our whole lives have been a lie?"

"I'm afraid so." Fox replied.

"Wait, I thought Pepper was our ally? If he really wanted to take Star Fox down, he would've done it decades ago, right?" Krystal asked.

"Doing so would have caused a system-wide rebellion. He needed to wait until we were down and out before getting rid of us entirely."

"If that's the case, he's not going to be happy that all three of us are sitting in a room talking about it." Falco pointed out.

"So what now?" Krystal asked.

"I have a feeling that we need to draw Wolf out so we can tell him what's going on. We're both pawns in this game." Fox said.

"Yeah. Sounds like we should be working with him, if anything." Falco followed up on the remark.

"Fox, you do know what going after Pepper is going to do, right? It'll hinder us more than help us." Krystal noted.

"Well, Star Fox isn't one for being betrayed. And if the Lylat System's being run by a leader as corrupt as Pepper can be, then maybe it's time for some new leadership." Fox countered.

"People make mistakes, Fox. Maybe this isn't the best idea." Krystal said.

"Those mistakes have caused so much death. All the wars Andross started could have been avoided if the truth about my father's death hadn't been hidden from me."

"I don't see how that adds up. I get that you're angry, I get that you're frustrated and confused and violence seems to be the answer right now, but maybe you should think this through a bit before starting a full scale rebellion."

"She has a solid point, man." Falco chimed in.

Fox folded his arms and sighed deeply, closed his eyes, and thought of James. He could feel a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I'm pissed too, and believe me, I wanna burst into the Cornerian Military Headquarters right now and demand some answers. It's just not gonna work like that." Falco said.

"Okay." Fox whispered underneath his breath. "Wolf. We need to get to Wolf."

"Good." Krystal smiled. "Let's see what we can do about that. Any ideas?"

"Well, we can't just go in and find him. He's locked himself away. Believe me, I've tried." Fox said, now sitting and resting his elbow on his knee.

"Fox, you leave this one to me. I know how to get him, or at least get a good start." Falco said arrogantly, standing up from his chair.

"What're you planning?"

"Just leave it to me. You'll be surprised." Falco smirked.

After pausing for a moment, Fox decided that the stubborn avian wouldn't be stopped unless his face met a fist or he got what he wanted. Fox didn't feel like fighting right now, anyways.

"Alright. Don't disappoint me, then."

"You know I won't." Falco began. "Now, the real business; pizza or burgers? I'm feelin' pizza tonight, man."

Fox just shook his head and chuckled.


	14. The Pawn

Falco drifted through space, crammed into a small alcove in the cargo bay of Lylat Airlines Shuttle 76-8. The dim light of his phone's screen illuminated his new home, as he scoured through his list of contacts. He needed another favor.

The phone buzzed and whistled a few times before a connection to the recipient of his call was established. The figure on the other end sighed and said,

"What is it, birdbrain?" It was a feminine voice, one that sounded like it didn't like being bothered.

"I need some information." Falco stated.

"You're gonna have to work for that, feathers."

"Katt, could you just stop with the crap? I'm not in the mood." Falco whined.

"You're never in the mood unless the legs are opened." The feline snickered. "What do you need?"

"I need O'Donnell."

Katt sighed again and asked, "Why?"

"None of your business. Just tell me where he is." Falco huffed.

"Like I said, you're going to have to work for that. I'm not an information kiosk at a theme park. Though I certainly am a roller coaster in bed." Katt said seductively. Falco wasn't interested, but the only way to get her to talk was to mess with her head, and the only way to do that was be a better flirt than she was.

"I already knew that, babe."

"That's it? THAT'S what the great Falco Lombardi comes up with? You've lost your edge, honey." Katt replied. To be fair, he wasn't as good with the ladies as he once was. Even he could see that, and he was as proud and haughty as any other self proclaimed ladies man out there.

"Katt, I know you're gonna tell me. And I know you know where that bastard is." Falco said, now slightly embarrassed.

"Oh of course I know. He is my boyfriend's best friend, after all."

"I know what you're trying to do. And as much as I would love to come over there and stick my nose where it doesn't belong, I can't. So just tell me where Wolf is." Falco said.

"You're a naughty one, aren't you feathers?" Katt replied coyly.

"Just stop." Falco growled.

"Oh come on...Having one man isn't fun enough for me; you know that." Katt chuckled.

"All too much, asshole."

"Don't be sour, feathers. You know that will get you nowhere."

"Well excuse me for being upset that my ex cheated on me, and now I'm forced to talk to you because I need your help! And don't call me feathers, we're done with that shit now." Falco shouted, almost blowing his cover.

"Jeez, you'd think that with all the times you broke some girl's heart you'd be able to take it." Katt said.

"Hey, I was young and stupid, so shut it!"

"You still are stupid! Not young, but definitely stupid!" Katt yelled back.

"Katt! I don't care! Are you gonna tell me where that friggen' Wolf is or not?" Falco hissed.

"Like I said, I need something from you first. I don't give handouts, feathers." Katt said. Falco groaned and asked,

"Fine, what is it?"

"I'm sending you some coordinates. Meet me there in two days at 0300. Come alone." Katt's tone suddenly changed from playful to business-like, and with that she disconnected.

…...

Fox awoke to the smell of breakfast cooking, knowing well that Krystal had to be up and was making her own. It was a strange feeling, having her so close but yet so far away from him. He hadn't ever felt this way with her, unless she was trapped in a giant gemstone suspended thousands of feet in the air. What was even more troubling was his thoughts on the matter itself; he wasn't so sure he wanted things to be exactly as they were fifteen years ago. He wasn't the young man he once was. He was grown, and started to think that perhaps a relationship that worked perfectly when he was young wouldn't work now. There were two reasons for this. The first was his new character, which had developed slowly over the fifteen years of solitude he forced himself to live in. Whether he liked it or not, he was changed for good, and no amount of trying could bring him back. The second reason was the severed connection between the two of them. The chances of that connection being recreated exactly as it used to be were slim to none, and, while Fox did think the connection could be reestablished, he didn't see it being the same.

Without further delay, Fox slipped out the door of the guest room, barely remembering that he and Krystal hardly knew each other anymore, and that a shirt would probably be appreciated. Krystal was indeed cooking as he'd guessed; where she picked up this skill, he couldn't tell. When she was aboard the Great Fox, her cooking skills had always been... below par, to put it kindly. She'd never been afraid of trying, though. And evidently she had; the food smelled fine. Delicious, actually.

"Good morning." Fox mumbled, trying to shake the sleep out of his voice.

"I made breakfast. Help yourself." Krystal responded, detached to the situation as well. Fox wasn't particularly hungry, but decided to eat since Krystal might appreciate the gesture. He set himself up with a plate of the food and sat down at the table a few steps away from her.

"This looks good." Fox said.

"Thanks." Krystal responded, sitting down on the opposite side of the table, two chairs off to the right. It was clear that she was not at all comfortable, and was trying to stay as far away from him as possible in order to be considered distant yet amicable.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Fine." She said, not looking up from her meal.

"Do you have any plans today?" Fox asked.

"Not any involving you. Unless it's business, we're nothing but acquaintances, Fox." Krystal snapped back.

"I already said I'm sorry. I know it's not enough to build up years of trust but the least you could do is tolerate me." Fox sighed.

"I am tolerating you. It's bad enough that I have to come work here with you, but now Falco's gone and I have nothing to fall back on." Krystal hissed.

"I didn't make you come; you did that with your own free will." Fox countered.

"No, you made me come alright." Krystal mumbled.

"What? Are you serious? I didn't force you to do-"

"Look at yourself, Fox! Just look in the damn mirror and you'll see why I had to help!"

"I have to do that every morning! Every goddamn morning I sit there and I blame myself for every little piece of bullshit that's every occurred, and when I try to think positive I can't because of how many times I've stomped my piece of shit name into the mud, over and over and over with my stupid choices..." Fox said, his eyes closed in order to fight back tears.

"Fox, I'm not going to babysit you through this like I would have fifteen years ago. You're on your own." Krystal stood up and walked away, leaving her plate of half-eaten food there for him to clean up. Fox sat there for a few moments, rubbing his temples with his fingers. No matter what he tried, a dull ache remained in his mind. He wasn't sure if it would ever come out.

…...

_0300_

Falco looked up from his watch, taking in the scene of the abandoned factory laid out before him. Almost every single window had been smashed, allowing him a multitude of options in the ways of entry. These windows were laid out in rows of ten, which stacked on top of each other five times. It was an odd design for a factory; why they had ever needed that many windows would remain a mystery to him. He could only guess that this factory did not always produce legal goods. It's location would support this hypothesis; Yuey, Titania. A city of black market merchants and drug lords, which had sprung up in the middle of the desert as a hideout for scum and villainy alike.

It seemed fitting that a Star Wolf member would want to meet him here, now that Sargasso was cleansed of it's "devilish presence" as the Cornerian government called it.

Falco looked around for Katt now. She'd always been slippery, but never too clever. Her tactics were all focused on raw skill, and little else. That meant that she'd always been in plain sight, but very well disguised. Falco looked each windowsill over with supreme caution, and, upon deciding that she was most likely not outside, began walking calmly over to the door. The cool desert air whipped across the empty lot in front of the factory, bringing with it a concoction of sand and dust. Falco pulled his scarf higher on his face, eager to escape the elements.

The interior of the factory was black, illuminated only by the faint light of Titania's two moons that filtered in through the hundreds of windows. The wind growled outside as the feint clopping of Falco's boots against the stone floor reverberated through the complex. Steel beams embroidered and supported the massive roof above him, and large pillars erupted from the stonework and clutched at the ceiling. Mangled machines cried for help with their unfinished products. The place had been abandoned mid-work day. Falco wondered what had happened, running his feathered hand over the rusted metal surface of what appeared to be the door of a car.

"Two years ago, this place was raided by bandits from the Southern Gergan Desert. Quite a show, feathers." Katt's coy voice called out from an unknown location.

"Are you sure they were from the desert? This looks a bit too sophisticated to be the work of savages." Falco said, not even flinching.

"Oh I'm sure. They came out of nowhere...sound familiar?" Katt teased.

"We're not kids, Katt. Come on out." Falco replied calmly.

"No." She pouted, her voice drawing closer.

"Oh come on..." Falco moaned.

"Say it." Katt said.

"I'm not going to say it, it's stupid."

"Say it and I'll come out." Katt laughed, almost maniacally.

Falco sighed and mumbled, "...Come out and play, Kitty Katt."

"What was that? I couldn't hear you!" She continued laughing, throwing her body across the steel beams above the now embarassed avian's head.

"I'm almost 40 years old Katt, I'm not saying that stupid shit again just so you can have your nostalgia trip." Falco pouted.

"Oh just say it and I'll come out." Katt wailed from the rafters.

"You're up in the steel beams holding up the ceiling, now come out." Falco called out to the blackened beams.

Katt's body flew downwards in a spiraling motion, and she landed, rolling forwards to catch her fall. She stood up inches away from Falco's face.

"You never let me have any fun with you." She whispered.

"That's because I'm not here for fun. Wolf. Where's he at?" Falco asked.

"Seriously, relax mister mercenary. I'll tell you, but like I said before, I want something from you." She said, her tone switching over as it had when he'd first contacted her. She circled around him like a buzzard eying it's prey.

"What do you need?" Falco asked, his gaze lazily following the feline's path around his body.

"I need a man killed," She said, slipping him a vanilla colored envelope, "Your work at the General's Ball impressed us, but weakened us. Now, we need repayment; that either comes in the form of work or death in Star Wolf terms. Or, for you, the special third option of blowing your house and killing the two lovebirds inside while they sleep." Katt threatened.

Falco remained emotionless, his eyes still carefully following the stalking hunter surrounding him, choking him. She was very good at what she did, that was for certain. His hands fumbled with the folder and looked over it's contents in the dim light the room provided, as Katt's hands caressed his neck.

"Walter Gogan, huh?"

Walter was a hulk of a toad; a five-foot-seven amphibious skeleton carrying two hundred and thirty three pounds of unhealthy body. A researcher at the Cornerian Bio-Weapons Institute, he'd clawed his way through the ranks with his intelligence. With as high an IQ score as he had, that couldn't have been hard. Now he was Beltino Toad's right hand man.

_What a coincidence. _

"Why does Star Wolf want this guy dead?" Falco asked, still staring at the picture of the bulging frog.

"He's heading development on a weapon that is designed to wipe out our base without us even knowing what happened. All air will slowly become unbreathable within a 50 mile radius of our base, water will become undrinkable, disease will spread like wildfire. Within twelve hours of it's planting, we'll be wiped out completely." Katt replied.

"Killing him won't do anything; says here he's got at least 6 guys working on this with him."

"That's why you're going to take out the project with him, right feathers?" Katt asked in her signature tone.

Falco mulled over his options in his head. This mission wouldn't just benefit Star Wolf, it may just give Star Fox some more intelligence on Corneria's corrupt leadership. Right now, that looked like the real enemy. Helping Star Wolf couldn't hurt too much either, especially since Falco was trying to find him for diplomatic reasons rather than violent ones.

"If I do this, I want a personal meeting with Wolf scheduled the minute I finish the job." Falco demanded.

"Of course, feathers. That was the deal, correct?" Katt said, her fingers now pulling his chin down towards her eyes.

"Stop that," Falco said, squirming away, "I'll call you once it's done."

"Oh, I know you will..." Katt said, slowly retreating into the darkness of the factory once more, leaving Falco standing there with the opened envelope with the smiling toad staring at him.

…...

Fox walked through the heart of Corneria City, towards his friend's home just outside of the city's hub. He hadn't taken this walk in many years, but still remembered each nook and cranny along the sidewalk leading to it. The faded red Star Fox symbol that had been graffitied onto a wall in the alleyway connecting 21 and 23 Barrel Park, the large pothole in the road near Freddy's Coffee Shop on Main Street, the group of kids that always played hockey on Hubert Avenue. Today, the Star Fox symbol was nothing but a red smudge resembling a bloodstain, the pothole was closed as well as Freddy's Coffee Shop, and the kids had vanished, leaving Fox alone in the street, cold and disheartened.

Fox opened the worn iron gate to his friend's house and stepped inside, his hands stuffed into his pockets in order to keep warm. Once again, nobody was around but him. He liked it this way when he visited his friend... It was like it was when it was just them versus the world, and nothing could bring them down.

Fox stared down at the stone buried into the earth, it's inscriptions now partially clogged with grime and muck; a result of his own neglect.

_James McCloud_

_Beloved Father and Husband_

_Fly with the Stars in the Afterlife_

Fox got down on his two knees, the frozen ground digging into his skin. He stayed there for a long time, unsure of how his father's face would look right now. Would James still be proud of him? He would most likely look puzzled. Puzzled as to why Fox had been gone for so long, when what they had was so strong. Puzzled as to why he would choose to seek vengeance rather than to seek love and happiness. Not even Fox could explain that. Now, all chances of happiness seemed slim.

"Dad?" Fox asked the wind. It whistled back in response, but no more than that.

Fox let his head hang once more. Whatever he used to have seemed dead. He seemed dead. It was only a matter of time before some assassin of the government or Star Wolf put a bullet through his head, ending his wretched, cursed life. He wanted to sit there and wait for that moment of absolute freedom. He was a pawn, and nothing more, in this endless game of politics that choked Corneria each day and controlled it at night.

"Even pawns can capture Kings." A voice said from behind him. A familiar, warm voice. Fox lifted his head slowly and turned to greet it's owner...

The wind rustled the dying brown leaves on the tree a few steps away from him, with no person in sight.

…...


End file.
